>> Ben Rosenfeld: I think especially when you're starting out, you're either better
at performing, or at writing the jokes.
And eventually the goal is however it starts out that they both get better
and meet somewhere way better than when you started.
I've always been a better writer than a performer,
and I've been doing it over 5 years now.
I think my performing has gotten significantly better, but it still has a ways to go.
But like everyone's different with what they lean on more.
And yes, you could be the funny friend, sometimes that translates.
Usually that doesn't, especially if you don't put in the -- if you're ready --
like if you have no sense of humor you shouldn't do comedy, but as long as you have a sense
of humor I think you -- and you work at it, you can develop to where it's professionally funny.
I think first you should just do it for a month or 2, and just see if you like it,
and then worry about the theory, because the theoretical version
versus what actually happens, there's some overlap, but a lot of it --
until you've been onstage and you have the experience of how an audience is
and what's going on, it doesn't -- it's scary enough when you're starting out,
where if you start over-thinking and over-reading about it,
you're just never going to do it.
So I'd say if you want to do comedy, when you're done with this,
go find when the next open mike is, write yourself 2 or 4 minutes, or whatever,
and just go do it, and then see if you want to try it again or not.
And then go from there; because what was it, I think Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson or someone,
"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face."
That's this art form.
[Laughs]
[ Silence ]