Transcript: Recognize Your Host

Comedy Insider
Episode “Recognize your host”

Christian Thom: Christian Thom here in one of my favorite places central park, with more than 25,000,000 visitors annually central park is the most visited city park in the United States. One thing tourist and New Yorkers can agree on is this an oasis away from the steel and pavement and everyone respects it’s majestically splendor.
The park boasts more than 185 acres of greenery, lakes, and trees and has appeared in countless movies, TV shows and books. New York plays host to the world and this park plays host to all New Yorkers making the city great and allowing the skyscrapers to stretch upward while providing us with some comfort. Is that kind of stability than a host brings to a comedy show, setting the pace in keeping the tone. My friend Jen Palumbo is a comic who knows a thing a two about hosting.
Jenn: Jenn it is a very unique, rare, exotic, name short for Jennifer, anyone ever hear that name before, Jennifer? No nothing, Palumbo, Italian for pigeon. Thank you very much I appreciate that, my dad likes to tell people it means warrior eagle, but he is full of shit. Kind of like a pigeon so that all works out.
Christian Thom: OK let’s dispel a myth that the host is not a real comedian or that they are not really on the show, we can get that away immediately.
Jenn: Yes some of the best comedians are really gracious and they host a show. Eddie Brill who books for David Letterman often hosts shows all over the city. There is a whole bunch of them and they probably don’t usually get the credit that they deserve because your own standup, hopefully if you’re good host it is on the back burner and you are a different role totally as a host.
So people do not know that you actually are a very talented comedian because you’re just like the Donna Reed of the evening, you know just graciously bringing up people and getting them quietly off of the stage.
My parents had been married for 40 years and I asked my mom which she thought made a successful marriage and she said well your father does not try to run my life and he does not try to run his life either, married people is that true? Yeah probably, are you married, do you want to get married?
Guy: Uh yes…
See I am bringing people together, really.
Christian Thom: The host has a hugely important job.
Jenn: Yes.
Christian Thom: Maybe even the most important job in the entire club that night.
Jenn: Yeah I think the biggest thing in my opinion at least is that they keep the momentum and the energy up and it is very tenuous and you can either ruin it or improve it. Typically in the beginning of the show there is a period of taking the temperature of the audience and seeing who you are dealing with, some quick crowd work hopefully. Then you go into your act, you should do your bits in the beginning, gets the energy going and then that is it that is about focusing on the people that you’re bringing on and off the stage.
I think the only other time you’d put back in your standup is if a comedian really bombs, if the comedian goes up in he eats it…
Christian Thom: It happens all the time though…
Jenn: Yeah, how the audience just checks out leaves and gets in a cab and you have to try to get them back.
Christian Thom: Now what happens if the opposite happens, what if someone comes on and kills and then you’re the host and you have to prepare them for the next act?
I would keep it brief; do you know what I mean? If the energy is up be like was and he great, let’s give it up one more time and let’s bring out the next thing. I am all about just keeping the show moving and keeping everyone happy and being a good hostess and not being self serving. That drives me crazy about hosts, I hate when they cheaply just keep plugging in their own material, because they want the stage time what ever if you’re a good host again you keep the focus on the people who were booked for that show.
Are you from New York? I’m sensing no, New Yorkers do not wear that. Arizona, are a lot of you from Arizona? OK you seem hesitant to admit that, is everything OK in Arizona?
Christian Thom: Now when the host comes out there is always a certain amount of were you from, how’re you doing tonight, but you have to do that when you are hosting.
Jenn: Yeah I would like to think that the host should be likable; do you know what I mean?
Christian Thom: I’ve never seen a dirty comedian or really daring comedian is the host, it is always the person that the audience relates the most to.
Jenn: Yeah, well right hopefully and I try really hard to be personable and likable and to get the audience with you.
Christian Thom: Well what about you when you have the girl who’s getting married who is having her bachelorette party she has got the tiara on and she is really drunk and she is on the cell phone texting and smoking… How do you handle when one little section of the audience starts to break off?
Jenn: You know again I think you handle it differently as a host then you would as a comedian, I think as a comedian you could be a little bit harsher.
Christian Thom: Oh absolutely use call it right out, but as a host you want to…
Jenn: Yeah I think you have got to be very clever and in the moment in how to try to get them back in a great way. I think I would probably ask what the occasion was, and get them more involved in the show. I definitely have shows where people are getting married and then I will say is there any married people here and do you have any advice for them. You do have to really go with it and think quickly and try to do what you can get everyone back on the same page. And I think sometimes if you do have someone disruptive you can take that and figure out what the deal is and see if you can bring other people in on the same topic.
So New Yorkers applaud, OK so it is just you people that are from Arizona, OK will welcome to our fine city. I live in Brooklyn actually I don’t know a thing if you live in the outer Boroughs but I find I have a hard time getting people who live in Manhattan to come to my house. It is like one bridge in the act like the need a battery of vaccinations and an updated passport. You know I am like why don’t you come to Brooklyn tonight and they’re like Brooklyn, what is, is land you speak of? Is it safe to drink the water, well it is 4:00 PM our time.
And you know I definitely had, have you ever had tapes when the hosts introduced you and it was just kind of lame and a kind of ruined the tape. I had some growth come up and shoe is like here is Jenn Polumba, I don’t remember her introduction. And though I did a really good set, and then she went back on stage and was like funny, funny, funny. It was so irritating because you really do want to get the introductions right. I hate when I mispronounce a name or a screw up something. You know what is great to is actually when a host either calls back to your routine for the tape, or he says wasn’t she wonderful.
If I could have a really good host gives me props at the end of my sent you know I’m going to be giving that tape to everybody. The headliner, I have seen her perform countless times, her and I did a horrible show in Massachusetts last week and she still manage to wow the crowd despite their drunkenness, it is my honor and thrill to bring to you Laurie Summer, give it up.
Again maybe it is not the pinnacle of celebrity to be a comedic host but if you really do care about comedy and you care about the art, and you care about the craft and you enjoy it, I think you really do take that role very seriously.
Christian Thom: It is part of the community.
Jenn: Yes, it is a nice thing to do and it is a fun thing to do, is a night out and I get to have fun and see other comedians and I really like that.
Also I would just like to say personally it has been great entertaining you I hope you had a good time, if you see me on your way out and I hope you do please give me your name and address I can send you all thank you cards, you have been lovely take care and have a great night