Comedian Jan McInnis makes ’em laugh at the Central California Women’s Conference
You ever see those actors
that you can’t remember their names, but they’re in EVERYTHING – whether it’s a comedy, a mystery, or a sci fi flick, they are the same person. You might not remember the actor’s name, but when you see him, you go “oh yeah, that’s the guy who always plays the boy next door. He’s been in X and X and X, and X, and X.. movie.” Well, he’s been typcasted as the boy next door.
Steve Buscemi is like that –
he’s always playing a seedy character. He’s like the creepy boy next door. Typecasting is a good thing. . especially when it comes to jokes and comedy. I was just performing my comedy show at the Central California Women’s Conference, and I was able to kick off with a typecasting joke that all 3,536 women attendees could relate to.
As I walked through
the exhibit hall, I saw two different booths with cars in them . . nothing else aside from some brochures, and a car parked right inside the booth. And what is one of the things that women are typecasted as? BAD DRIVERS! So I had a great joke for my opening comedy bit – “I saw a car in the booth. . .which one of you did that? Don’t let the media see it, they’ll have a hay day!” It got a nice laugh and allowed me to connect with the woman immediately.
When looking for humor,
typecasting is a great idea. The jury is out whether Actors like typecasting or not – some think it gives them an edge because they look and play the part so well, that they’ll always be called on when a director needs that certain look. Others though, think they will not get as much work. This is especially true for child actors who can’t move into adult roles because everyone thinks of them as a little kid, then they try to break the type casting and they wind up in rehab. As for comedians, we love typecasting for jokes because we can make that quick connection and move on.
So next time
you’re looking for some quick humor. . .think of typecasting your subject and hilarity will ensue!
Jan