Is vlogging the new stand-up? A compare/contrast of traditional and online models of comedic content distribution

ABSTRACT

The ways in which audiences consume comedic content have drastically changed, as have the ways comedians distribute their material through user-generated content (UGC) online. In this paper, stand-up comedy will be compared to UGC creation, discussing the rising popularity of telling jokes online especially via vlogging. Specific areas of focus include the rationale behind choosing online methods of distribution such as YouTube, starting one's career, dealing with opposition, honing the craft and finding a big break that drastically increases popularity. The central question to be investigated is the following: has vlogging become the new version of stand-up comedy or are both outlets unique enough to continue to exist separately in the future?

KEYWORDS:

• Stand-up comedy
• user-generated content
• vlogging
• YouTube

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

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Matthew McKeague

Matthew McKeague received his PhD in Communications Media from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is a professor at Kutztown University in Cinema, Television & Media Production. His current research focuses on comedy in the media.