What Can You Expect From Clean Stand Up Comedy?

Brian Regan, Jeff Allen, Ryan Hamilton, Tim Hawkins, Anjelah Johnson, and John Crist are not the names that crop up when you think of stand up comics. But they have carved a niche in the industry for their clean acts.

Unfortunately, people often associate stand up comedy with vulgarity, profanity, and taboo topics. The more shock value, the better. As a result, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Amy Schumer, and Kathy Griffin are more household names.

However, you have to give credit to clean stand up comedians for sticking to their principles, and not going over to the dark side.

Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, and Jeff Foxworthy are showing the way. There is a niche for this type of comedy out there. They do not have to change their personality in order to book more projects.

For instance, you might be surprised to know that Jerry Seinfeld is worth almost a billion dollars.

You can add the net worths of Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Kathy Griffin, Kevin Hart, and Amy Schumer, and they still could not catch up to Jerry Seinfeld.

So, clean comedy clearly pays. It is not merely a novelty.

What actions can you expect when booking clean stand up comedians?

1. No politics and religion. Generally speaking, the comic will steer clear of politics and religion, two of the most divisive topics in the world. It is a slippery slope, and someone is bound to be offended even if it is not the original intention. Unless, of course, it is a political function, and the host specifically asked for a joke or two.
2. They will run you a list of topics. At the very least, you have to snoop around a bit to be familiar with the comedian’s portfolio. However, comedians are not likely going to veer away from their identity. With Dave Chappelle, you know what you are going to get, along with Amy Schumer. However, clean stand up comedians has a more diverse audience. They will consult with you on topics that might be taboo during the event.
3. They work best with children. If you have a family event with lots of children around, clean stand up comedians are the ways to go. They know how to work around a crowd, especially kids. And once the kids laugh loudly, you can expect the adults to join in on the fun, too. Of course, the comic will always ask the age of children that are expected to be there at the event. There might be jokes and double entendre that are too complex for young minds to understand.

When you say “clean act,” there is no single definition. Think of it as a spectrum. It could mean that the comedian is not doing any profanity or sex jokes. It could also mean that they would not be covering topics that are deemed too controversial for the audience. But they are not above curse words.

It is why you should always do a background check on the comedian. If they are in the industry for a good number of years, you would not have a difficult time pulling out a video on YouTube of their stand up.