>> Ben Rosenfeld: So I went to
Rutgers University, Rutgers College.
I double majored in economics and philosophy.
So I know how to make money,
I just don't see the point.
So comedy's always been a coping device, but
like I never thought that it could be a career.
It was just something I did
to get frustration off.
I could tell you my first time.
It was in Philadelphia.
I was doing management consulting;
that was my previous job.
But I -- you learned a lot, but and, you
know, it's not -- we can go into that.
But so I was down there for work, and I'd
already been going to a couple open mikes just
to watch, and after a couple of times
watching like Philadelphia amateur comedians,
I was like, "I could write this."
So like I wrote some stuff,
and like sent to my friend
who was my college year freshman
roommate, and he was doing standup writing.
And I'm like, "Here, maybe
you could use these jokes."
And he writes back, "It's not bad.
Why don't you try it?"
It's like, "Why don't I try it?"
So it was like you get 3 minutes.
And, I mean, I'd never been
onstage before except karaoke.
So I had little -- I had typed it up,
because I'm always like computer savvy.
And I'd printed it out, and cut
it up into little note cards,
so I had like 5 little note cards or whatever.
So I didn't even have it memorized.
But I specifically remember when I went
up there the first time my hands holding
the note cards were like doing these,
because you have like 50 -- I mean,
New York nobody watches open mikes,
but I guess Philadelphia
people have nothing to do.
So there was like 50 people in the audience
that aren't comedians, and you're --
I just remember like my hands were shaking.
But the thing I remember people
were actually listening to you;
because I feel like in society today like
people are just waiting their turn to talk.
But when you're already funny and people are
laughing and relaxed, and then you stop talking
for a second or 2, and everyone just
leans forward to listen for what's next,
that's my favorite part of comedy.
[Silence]