Monday, September 26, 2011

Professors as Comedians

Professors and comedians have a lot in common. When I was young, a slightly older friend of mine was starting on what would be a successful career as a comedian. I realized that I learned a lot from watching his shows, especially about audience engagement, the use of personal stories, narrative, and humility in front of an audience.


ComedianProfessor
It's your jobYesYes
Live audienceYesYes
You have a narrative you want them to followYesYes
Need audience engagementYesYes
They're judging youYesYes
They're paying for itYesYes
They expect their money's worthYesYes