Do stand up comics write all their own jokes?

[Loach]

@ftg

An example from just this side of the “modern era” of standup. Jimmy Walker once had David Letterman and Jay Leno writing jokes for him.

Back when Dave and Jay were friends, Jay once brought out on Dave’s old show their old notebook of jokes they were writing for Jimmy. Dave and Jimmy often talked about that era. No one seemed the least bit ashamed about the matter.

The recent Apatow documentary about Garry Shandling recalled some tales of Garry offering jokes to George Carlin and then later young comics offering jokes to Shandling.

It’s just something some people do.

And it wouldn’t take much for someone to be able to write a whole set for Jim Gaffigan in “his” voice.

OTOH, I have a relative who does standup. National tours and the occasional European tour. No way does she buy or sell material. The material is way too specific for her “lifestyle”.

They do definitely talk to each other and even the top level comics will give jokes to others when they think it would suit them better. I do think selling jokes is less prevelant but it still happens. I do know when it comes to televised roasts most comics get help either paid or just from friends.

There is a rift between Jay Mohr and Bert Kreischer that still exists as far as I know over freely given material. Bert used to open for Jay. He had a story that happened to him with Tracy Morgan. He gave it to Jay because it didn’t really work on stage unless you could do a Tracy Morgan impression (and Jay probably does the best). But one time Bert told the story in an interview and Jay got attacked by fans for being a joke thief. Even after Bert went on air to explain it he still got attacked for it.

[KneadToKnow]

Paul Mooney wrote for Richard Pryor. It makes me very glad to know that Richard was spending money on something other than cocaine during the 70s.