What is a Clean Comedy?

Comedy is subjective. Shouldn’t it be that way, anyway? What one person finds humorous, another person may not, and that should be okay. Comedians have long been feeling the need to modify their sets, to better align with what booking agents and venues would like to hear. There has been a call for limiting the ‘dirt.’ Use of profanity, racial slurs, and any other point of interest are being limited, and comedians are being restricted.

Almost every comedian has been asked to keep it clean at some point in their career. Very rarely has one not run into this restrictive type of joke-telling. However, is this really a bad thing? Is clean comedy the new thing, and more comedians should be hopping on board? We think so. In a world where we are struggling for equality and love, extinguishing the divides and hate might seem like the best things to do. Having jokes that aren’t directed at certain races, genders, or groups would aim to unite the audiences versus causing disagreements and riots in the streets.

The problem with defining clean comedy is that no one has a perfect definition. What one booking company might consider clean, could be completely different than another place’s standards. Some might want a comedian to restrict their language. This means just eliminating all the cursing. Others might say ‘keep it clean,’ referring to staying away from picking on ethnicities. So what exactly is clean comedy?

The New Standard of Clean

Long ago, when comedians were asked to ‘keep it clean’ it meant don’t drop the ‘F-bomb’ and other curse words. Since people have become more sensitive, aware, or awake, the need to censor seems to be a more pressing point. It is hard to believe that comedians of the past, like George Carlin, could have ever been asked to tone it down or dial it back. That man had a tenacity that could light up a room full of laughs. He dropped the F-bomb like it was the last word he was ever going to use. But his style worked for him, and people knew what to expect.

Clean comedy, on the other hand, gets rid of some of the older thoughts associated with comedy and what it takes to make a crowd laugh. Do you need to curse every five seconds to make your set more exciting, or are there other ways to inspire laughter from your audience?

What some comedians have been doing is creating two separate acts. They will have a clean act, in addition to their ‘regular acts.’ This provides an alternative, in case a venue requires a set that is free of profanity and other features that could be deemed unacceptable or they would prefer a more family-friendly entertainer.

There are types of comedians that find it easier to write clean material. These jokes usually surround things that the person does throughout the day or something that the audience can connect with, then applying a humorous spin. It stays clear of mocking classes or injecting colorful humor, as it was once called.

Is Clean Comedy Beneficial For The Industry?

Once again, comedy is subjective. Your friend may find that dirty jokes are absolutely hilarious; you might not. So it is easy to say that there is, in fact, a place for clean comedy. It is a fresh take that many of us have needed and glad to see it becoming more commonplace in the industry. Instead of relying on gender, age, sexes, and other types that can be discriminated against, clean comedy is perfect for everyone. Click here to hire a comedian!

Clean comedy may be making comedians dial it back some in terms of profanity, but what they may gain is a whole new audience. Families can enjoy an evening out without perverse humor or profanity that may make you question whether or not you are at a comedy club or aboard a ship.