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I have no desire to be hip to the latest black slang and do the stereotypical black thing. I was a Richard Pryor fan, and I have used profanity in my act. But when it becomes a whole thing that defines blacks, we're limiting ourselves. The enemy is us.

Franklyn Ajaye

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Franklyn Ajaye
Age: 75
Born: 1949
Born: May 13
Comedian
Film Actor
Screenwriter
Television Actor
Brooklyn
New York
Fans
Slang
Becomes
Profanity
Enemy
Limiting
Desire
Defines
Black
Latest
Used
Blacks
Whole
Richard
Thing
Hips
Stereotypical

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When I've mentioned things that I thought only happened to me, or thoughts that I felt had only had crossed my mind, the audience response indicated that they seemed to have happened to, or been thought of by many people.
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Evaluate every performance on: stage presence, concentration, delivery, material and lessons learned.
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You must study their deliveries, their use of their bodies, their timing, and their use of audio and vocal effects.
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When I saw a sign on the freeway that said, Los Angeles 445 miles, I said to myself, I've got to get out of this lane.
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Be prepared to cut your little extra lines that come after a big punchline and move on to the next joke or routine to give your set more punch and crispness. You can keep them in your set, but if the audience applauds your big line, don't do your tag when it dies down, just move on.
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Moving to Australia was not a career move, but a quality of life issue. It has no guns, no God, and no gangster rap. As an Ethiopian cab driver said to me the other day when I was returning from a gig in Sydney, Australia is a peaceful, democratic place. I like the relatively stress free lifestyle. It's worth the drop in income.
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You can't wait forever for an audience to get the joke, but you should give them at least two seconds to join in before you go on to the next one.
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Obviously the audience has veto power signified by whether they laugh or not, but you-not them-retain the ultimate power to decide what they're going to get the opportunity to laugh at.
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You must not be afraid of small bits of silence. To use it well is the height of confidence and skill for a comedian. It increases the tension in a good way and adds contrast like a curveball complements the fastball of a good pitcher.
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Black people drink lots of beer. However, you won't see us skiing down a mountain for one, or see us diving for Frisbees on concrete for one.
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Don't try to give a funny opinion give your opinion in a way that will be funny.
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Walking back and forth also helps by creating the illusion that you are thinking of the routines on the spot, giving your performance a more spontaneous feeling.
Franklyn Ajaye
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It's better to play to the host as though in a real conversation and let the audience listen in- which they are.
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Taping yourself and making yourself listen to the tape of each performance no matter how bad is really important. There's always a nugget line or a direction pointed out to you in even the worst show.
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Being a professional comedian is doing it right and good, when you don't feel like it.
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Ideally, you want to be in a fifty-fifty power-sharing arrangement with the audience - both of you are there for a mutually enjoyable experience.
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Bombing teaches you how badly you want to become a comedian. Because unless it's a burning desire, you'll quit when the consistent bombing becomes too much to take.
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Being black and speaking properly are not mutually exclusive. My father was an African, and he spoke beautifully at home. Nelson Mandela speaks beautifully. Should Mandela put his hat on backwards and say, 'Yo, homey, this is Nelson. Yo, Winnie, yo, this is def'?
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An aspiring comedian must be determined to get to his or her true feelings on a subject and convey that to the audience. Figure out what you're feeling or interested in because the goal is to get the audience interested in what you're interested in. Good stand up comedy is drawing people into your head.
Franklyn Ajaye