Joke-e-oke Makes You a Comedian

Uber-Review writes "If you ever aspired to be the next Jerry Seinfeld instead of the next American Idol. Maybe the product featured by Wired is just right for you. Joke-e-oke, basically a karaoke with stand-up comedy material. Joke-e-oke is a laptop rigged to a video projector allows you to choose from a list of stand-up comedy icons to perform. A built in laugh track is added, timed perfectly to accent punch lines. Obstacles are programmed in so participants onstage get a taste of what real comedians go through by firing off heckle lines for the bar crowd to yell in unison at the Joke-e-oke participant."

Comments

Re:Looks interesting to say the least

[mfh]

Yes!! I don't even need to be funny to look like a jackass! Built-in laugh tracks? I guess it might be entertaining to play alone.

Forget entertaining. This device will enable Slashdotters to achive higher goals on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Currently many of us are stuck at the Safety rung, but this gizmo will allow us to achive Self Actualization!

Re:WTF

[merlin_jim]

Great so now entertainment consists of a 'performer' being told what to say by a machine and that same machine telling the audience how to respond.

Have you watched MTV lately?

I spoke with Vanilla Ice last year about what's different about his career post prison. Basically he said that the changes were minor, he just writes and performs his own material now that he got rid of his MTV-tied-in Agent...

I've heard that most big artists have a similar career; their job is to hold the mic and look pretty. Singing ability, while a plus, is not required. Most stage musicians use an electronic device called the auto-tuner these days. Look it up; I could be an american idol with on of those babies on my mic jack.

Oh and IAAUAT (I Am An Underground Audio Technician)

Re:Look, Ma, I'm fay-moose!

[The-Bus]

That's a bit extreme. I think for most people this helps as a social icebreaker to get them to do something that they haven't done before, sort of like a trainer to help you tell jokes (as opposed to being funny*).

It's a way to kill some time or be entertained. I don't think most people will derive meaning and self-worth from being able to recycle some old Billy Crystal routine.

* Anyone who is regularly funny, for the most part, will not need a machine to want to do a joke in front of a small crowd. I like my quips in small company and have my own sense of humor. I don't know if doing someone's schtick in front of a bar is my idea of fun.

I'd Choose Steven Wright

[Phat_Tony]

The more monotonous and boring the delivery is, the funnier the material seems.

Three words - - Timing is everything

[jwf24]

I head a piece on NPR's (This American Life, I think), about karaoke bars who have comedy routines in addition to the regular songs. The comedy routines were never very popular, since 1) the materal was usually crapppy and 2) It's very difficult to read a joke for the first time without knowing the punchline and time it in such a way that is comes out funny... J

Re:its all in the delivery

[ackthpt]

as any comedian will tell you, it is all in the delivery. the material is important, but delivery is MUCH more important...

I've been listening to a lot of old radio comedy shows, Jack Benny, Phil Harris, Bob Hope, Fred Allen, etc. and these were all done before a live audience, while broadcast live over radio.

They bomb, they screw up, it still leaves the audiences howling with laughter. There's something about building up to a joke or expectation on the part of the audience. These people even laughed at their own jokes and so did the audience. At least on one occasion there's like laughter as the punchline is fumbled, the audience laughs and the comedian tries again and keeps screwing up and the audience keeps laughing, even harder until the comedian fires off something like "good thing we're professionals" and finally finish the joke off. Fun to listen to, even after 60 years in some cases.