In August 14, 2006 CS-T!
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Saturday, June 04, 2005
Laughing at you, not with you...
From today's New York Daily News editorial page, under the head "Laughing Matter":
You wonder why politicians don't get no respect? One reason: Legislation that leaves constituents rolling in the aisles. Case in point is a bill introduced by Manhattan Democratic Assemblyman Adriano Espaillat to ensure a "living wage for standup comedians" We did not make that up.Perhaps public embarassment will cease all this talk of a mandatory "living wage" for comedians.
Espaillat wants comics to be paid $120 for every 20 minutes of yada yada yada on weekends; $28 to $46 on weekdays. Weekday laughs are cheap laughs, we guess. The sponsor's memo notes dire working conditions: "Often times these comedians work in various parts of the city within a short time frame making the use of a taxi service a necessity." We did not make that up, either.
The bill defines "standup comedian" as "a professional performer who has worked a minimum of 200 performance hours telling jokes and/or performing comedy ... where people watch and/or listen to such performances." Which begs the question: If comics are so bad that people don't watch and/or listen, would they still have to be paid?
Comments (Note: Comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion of SHECKYmagazine.com):
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Not sure why you find this so laughable. As difficult as it is to quantify what we do, the value we provide to society is such that we should find ways to ensure comedians are not exploited, and they can make a living. Whats next, a living wage for doctors, teachers, even online journalists. Now thats laughable!
This whole issue flared up earlier in the year. Google this site, using the toolbar at the top of this column and you might find it in January's archive. We addressed the issue of guaranteeing comics a "living wage" and we made it quite clear where we stood on the issue.
If you can't see how this is unreasonable, maybe even inching into ridiculous, we have a simple disagreement with regard to economics.
For a recent post on this matter, click on this:
http://www.sheckymagazine.com/2004/12/comedians-in-nyc-rumbling-with-owners.html
We've been quite consistent over the last six years regarding our opposition to any kind of comedy union. We maintain it would be bad for comics and bad for comedy in general. We've columnized on it, we've blogged about it. It's all in the archives if you care to sniff it out.
Simply put: Nobody owes any standup comic a living. If you can't make it on standup alone, (as the old saying goes), "Don't quit your day job." This goes for comics plying their trade (Their art? Their craft? Their avocation?) in New York City, in St. Louis, in Poughkeepsie, in Traverse City.
Suggested reading: "Market Forces" at: http://www.sheckymagazine.com/mckim/market.htm
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If you can't see how this is unreasonable, maybe even inching into ridiculous, we have a simple disagreement with regard to economics.
For a recent post on this matter, click on this:
http://www.sheckymagazine.com/2004/12/comedians-in-nyc-rumbling-with-owners.html
We've been quite consistent over the last six years regarding our opposition to any kind of comedy union. We maintain it would be bad for comics and bad for comedy in general. We've columnized on it, we've blogged about it. It's all in the archives if you care to sniff it out.
Simply put: Nobody owes any standup comic a living. If you can't make it on standup alone, (as the old saying goes), "Don't quit your day job." This goes for comics plying their trade (Their art? Their craft? Their avocation?) in New York City, in St. Louis, in Poughkeepsie, in Traverse City.
Suggested reading: "Market Forces" at: http://www.sheckymagazine.com/mckim/market.htm
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