Adam Blaize on joke thievery

Last week, at a gig, I witnessed what I considered to be an act of plagiarism. Now, this is a tricky subject, because almost inevitably, there will be a crossover of material: people will talk about similar issues and subjects, especially big news stories.

But it wasn’t what was being talked about that I was suspicious of, but the wording of specific material. I knew that the person on stage had been on the same line-up as the comic I believe to have originated the routine, and it just felt too coincidental.

After it was over, I was in two minds about what to do. Do you confront someone that you suspect? It’s not something that you could easily prove.

I was torn, and even now, I’m not convinced I did the right thing. I didn’t confront the person that I suspected, but I did alert my friend that someone may have taken some of his material. ‘May have’ being the key phrase. Who am I? The bloody joke police?

You may think this is an insignificant matter in global terms – and certainly there’s still a minority school of thought that believes it doesn’t matter in comedy; that the audience just want to laugh and don’t care who wrote it. But it does matter; it really does. It matters because you’re stealing someone else’s laugh.

As someone who has only been performing stand-up for the past 15 months, I’m always learning new things; the craft of a joke, technique, and timing. But every success and every failure has been my own. Every high and every low was an achievement.

Yes, even the lows must be considered to be an achievement, because I sat down with an idea and I wrote it. I put the pen to the paper, and bore the brunt of disgruntled audience members. I got on a train, spent money I didn’t really have, and performed to one man with a pierced ear and a denim jacket that was too big for him.

I realise that this doesn’t sound particularly glamorous or inspiring, but it’s not supposed to be. Comedy is not supposed to be cool, or easy, or accessible to everyone. Usually, people get into comedy because they think they don’t fit in, or because they look at the world differently to everyone else; perhaps because something is missing from their life. How are you filling that need to express yourself if you simply steal a gag?

For me, risk is a big part of stand-up. And that’s why it’s rewarding when something does work, or when someone from the audience takes the time to speak to you after the gig. I think: I wrote that joke; I earned that reaction.

So why would you steal someone else’s material? You’re not a writer, you’re not a comedian, and you’re not a stand-up. You’re a thief, and the sooner you’re exposed, the better the circuit will be for the rest of us.

Published: 2 Apr 2013