Virtual Comedians Pick a Red Nose in Second Life

March 13, 2009 | Vetting explained

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Resident comedians in Second Life will goof around in a grid-wide show of support for the UK charity Comic Relief during the Virtually Funny Comedy Festival, March 13 and 14, 2009. Events include Open Mics (amateur hours) for budding comedians, stand-up comedy headliners, comedy singers and improvisational acts.

"This is an opportunity to help build awareness for Comic Relief, Red Nose Day 2009 and of course, comedy in Second Life," said festival organizer HenRietta Bloch.

"Stand-up comedy in a virtual world environment is done using a computer microphone," she explained. "It's like telling jokes to your friends on the telephone, because you can't see people's reactions in person. Okay, it's less interactive than that - in fact, it can be damn challenging." Logged-on event attendees see an animated avatar on a stage, moving like it is delivering comedy material. With computer speakers turned up, a Second Life user can hear the comedian's voice in real time. An audience member who likes the comedian can signal appreciation by playing sound files of applause or laughter, and by clicking on a virtual tip jar to deposit Lindens, the virtual currency of Second Life. There can be a small delay between the punch line and the audience reaction - an oddity of doing comedy in a virtual world.

"When you first do stand-up here, it feels like someone must be translating your jokes into another language. You're mentally counting one-thousand-one one-thousand-two, holding your breath and hoping you'll get a reaction that you can recognize. You just have to have faith until you get the hang of it. Tell a joke and move on to the next one because if you wait for a real world response or try to gauge audience reaction, the people listening to you will hear all these pauses and it just doesn't play well," advises Bloch to "first-time stand-up comedy open mikers."

A self-described "reformed laughoholic" and former real-life stand-up comedienne, Bloch humorously claims she "had to go through a 12-step program to quit doing stand-up comedy in real life, I was so bad. I couldn't even have sex without cracking a joke, which, oddly enough, does not lend itself to keeping your husband happy. Go figure! Okay, the truth is, I was part of the U.S. government's Comedy Retirement Program where they actually paid me to not do stand-up."

In 2008, Bloch logged on to Second Life and entered an Open Mic Night, the first time she had "done time" in public since the comedy club heydays of the 1980s. A bit nervous but armed with a well-rehearsed comedy routine, she won that night's virtual comedy competition because "there just weren't that many funny people in Second Life at the time." A few days later, real life beckoned and she promptly forgot about her "comedy leanings" once again.

Returning to SL in 2009, Bloch decided to organize an in-world comedy festival, and the timing was right - Red Nose Day 2009 was fast approaching. She also realized that not enough people knew about Second Life comedy, "even after all this time." Bloch wanted to do something in-world to support her favorite charity: Comic Relief. She started contacting SL club owners and comics asking them to get involved on short notice.

"It just came together really fast and people were really into the idea," beamed Bloch. "Canadian Elron Priestman (aka Lyle Bateman in real life) was the first comedian I signed up and he started contacting other comedians. Nasus Dumart (aka author Susan Mahar in real life) let me camp out in her Live Comic Enthusiasts group so I could post notices. Salamander Maroon, who is from Northern England, pulled out all the stops and started booking shows all over the place. Sal is donating all her tips during the festival and proceeds from Red Nose Day product sales to Comic Relief. There are just too many people to thank, and I'm really grateful. Even better, I don't have to write any new material, either. Honestly, it's just proof that even the most absurd concept - delivering a stand-up routine over the Internet - can get people involved with a good cause."

The current event schedule for the Virtually Funny Comedy Festival is available on the Web at the Second Life Comedy Calendar. Log on to Second Life, then join the group Live Comic Enthusiasts - the official group for the Virtually Funny Comedy Festival - for event updates.

Caption: Event Organizer HenRietta Bloch warms up the stage in preparation for the Virtually Funny Comedy Festival 2009.

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Stories from Second Life

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