Watch Before You Were Funny

Before You Were Funny is a comedy show produced by Funny or Die, a web-based entertainment company, that features audiences and comedians reading their early and often embarrassing material from their younger years. The show originally premiered in 2015 and is hosted by actor and comedian Paul Scheer and himself as a former comedic young writer, and Kristen Schaal, a beloved comedian, and actress.

The premise of the show is simple; the producers reach out to comedians who have been in the industry for a long time and ask them to dig deep into their archives and find some of the not so funny stuff they wrote in their earlier years. Then, Paul and Kristen invite the comedian onto the stage, sit them down and proceed to mock, critique, and explain their work as they read sections out loud in front of a live audience.

Before You Were Funny is a fresh and entertaining approach to satirical stand-up comedy. The show shows a side to comedy rarely seen in mainstream media. It's fascinating to see established comedians like Amy Schumer, Tom Lennon, Nick Kroll, and Patton Oswald, reveal their early jokes and routines, and then take a humorous journey into understanding why they were so off base.

The show sheds light on the process of comedic writing, and how so often in comedy, one has to write the bad stuff to get to the good stuff--and then watch as the good stuff may become bad again someday. It allows the audience to see that even the greats had to start somewhere and create some not-so-great material before finding their comedic stride.

The audience at Before You Were Funny often double over with laughter as they watch comedians squirm in audible discomfort while reading their old jokes--it's hilarious to see how nervous the performers get as they read their early work. The show is a lighthearted poke at the honest misadventures of young creative minds and lets us in on the humor of terrible high school jokes written on napkins or the inappropriate voice cracking open mic nights.

As it progresses, Before You Were Funny starts taking on different angles. It's one thing to have comedians comment on their own work, but it's another to hear others' interpretation of it. The show begins featuring an audience member's childhood diary, a movie script written by someone in high school, or lyrics to a song written when the person was in elementary school.

The audience's reactions to some of the stories and writings are priceless as they laugh uncontrollably at how ridiculous they are. However, underlying all the jokes and self-deprecation is the message that it's okay to fail and that everyone needs to find their voice--not just in comedy, but in life. Before You Were Funny is unique because it takes the sometimes-ugly process of making bad jokes and turns it into something beautiful.

Before You Were Funny exemplifies how humor is an essential tool to deal with the awkwardness of adolescence, and gives us a glimpse into the genesis of many great comedy acts we know and love today. For people that want to see comedians get roasted by their peers for old routines and jokes, Before You Were Funny is the show for them.

In conclusion, Before You Were Funny has proven to be funny and engaging. The show gives back respect to the unsung heroes of comedy, sharing their early innings to an often-unforgiving profession. Moreover, it's a chance for the audience to laugh at themselves and see that behind every brilliant joke or improvisation are a hundred terrible thoughts that needed to be purged. Even though it's no longer running, Before You Were Funny is still worth giving your time to experience hilariously nostalgic moments in writing.