Stand Up Comedy in Indonesia

Stand-up comedy is a type of comedy. But stand-up comedy has a different style than other comedy. The different is the concept of joke telling. The performer is called stand-up comedian, but simply call comic. Comic performs live in front of audience. The comic usually tell about their short funny story, this part called bits or one-liner. Stand-up comedy has rules that you cannot make audience laugh with your outfit. Example you wear a weird costume. And comic do not tell a story too long, because it’s called story telling, not stand-up comedy. The showcase usually be hold at the cafes. Many smaller vanues hold ‘open mic’ events, where anyone can take the stage and perform. Stand-up comedy has duration about 15-45 minutes.

  

Stand-up comedy begin since 18th century in Europe and America. Meanwhile, in Indonesia it’s begin recently. Popularity of stand-up comedy can be phenomenal considering this type of comedy does not have a strong roots in Indonesia. Warkop are the first generation of Indonesian Stand-up comedy. But, Panji Pragwaksono and Raditya, are the important person to make it stand-up comedy being popular now. It’s popular when there so much program on TV about stand-up comedy. For example Stand Up Comedy Show, Open Mic, and Stand Up Comedy: Battle of Comics.

Many city and university in Indonesia hold Open Mic and Stand Up every month. Characteristic of stand up comedy Indonesia: observation about culture, allusion, jokes about government and artist. Beside of it, stand-up comedy must be improvement so it will be better. 

written by : Stephanie Kandou