Virtual Comedy During a Quarantine
Episode description
During the quarantine, comedy shows moved to online video platforms like Instagram and Zoom. After performing in an Instagram live show, Kasha decides to explore the mechanics and science of what makes a good virtual comedy show. She talks to a psychologist (Dr. Neil Martin), a comedian (Blaire Postman), and comedy club owners in New York City (Caveat) to investigate how much audience laughter affects a comedy show, what is the best medium for comedy, and the differences between performing in live and virtual shows.
This episode contains the following videos and references:
Study: The Effects of Audience Laughter on Men's and Women's Responses to Humor (by Dr. Neil Martin and Dr. Colin Gray)
Study: Measuring responses to humor: How the testing context affects individuals' reaction to comedy (by Dr. Neil Martin, et al.)
TEDx: Sneaking Science into Stand-Up (by Kasha Patel)
Stephen Colbert Returns With A Message: America, You Got This.