The Laugh Track Justin Kendall Iowa State University
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Volume 53 Issue 1 Article 9 October 2001 The Laugh Track Justin Kendall Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ethos Recommended Citation Kendall, Justin (2001) "The Laugh Track," Ethos: Vol. 2002 , Article 9. Available at: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ethos/vol2002/iss1/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Publications at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Ethos by an authorized editor of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Story by Justin Kendall "Because the Midwest isn't always a hot spot for entertainment or 'big city life' we have to create our own fun, which is always the best kind. Also, I think Midwesterners are humble and polite, which makes for some great self-deprecating humor." - Carrie Seim "Because the Midwest isn't always a hot spot for through his wavy, dark mane. His right hand entertainment or 'big-city life,' we have to create is fixed chest-high, clutching rhe mic. His tan, our own fun, which is always the best kind. Also, moon-shaped face contorts inro various exag I think Midwesterners are humble and polite, gerated and animated expressions. His eyes which makes for some great self-deprecating bulge. humor. "- Carrie Seim "I was reading the Daily, so I know a little bit about what's going on now," he begins. "I was "People from the Midwest have a very wry, sar busy just before rhe show fabricating my sexu donic sense ofhumor, different from a lot ofpeo al ass a ulr." ple I've encountered in California. What I've Laughter and applause erupts from the noticed most is that a lot ofpeople not from the crowd. Standing center stage, he is surrounded Midwest don't get sarcasm, which I find hilarious. by the usual equipment: silver stand with It's fun to mess with them. "- Leana Benson microphone, wooden srool and rwo 20-oz. bot tles of water. Johannsen is on, mining the crowd for laughs and basking in their approval. 'Ar far as performance style or my sense of "Yeah, I'm thinking bigger - like six humor goes, I feel mine is very self-deprecating, women," he adds ro another roar. which seems to be representative of the Midwest This is how Jake Johannsen makes his living, for me. People seem to have more of a sense of chasing laughs rwice a month at comedy clubs humor about themselves in the heartland. " - across rhe counrry. He is arguably Iowa Stare Mark Leiknes University's biggest claim ro show-business fame, bur a growing crop of recent grads is "There are easy basic stereotypes that work well attempting ro change rhar. Some are linked ro for non-Iowa audiences. In a comedic arena, I Grandma Mojo's Moonshine Revival, ISU's no-boundaries sketch comedy group. Some present myself as one of the enlightened few who stumbled into rhe business. Bur a drive ro made it out ofhick-infested Iowa. In reality, it has amuse and the rush of performing link all. And been my experience that people from Iowa are each has a sense of humor shaped by their equally if not more enlightened to the general Midwestern roots and ripe with self-depreca- masses. " -josh Bryner rion and sarcasm. ****** "Iowa is kind of isolated and removed from Jake Johannsen has successfully conquered most ofthe stuffthat happens in the country, so we rhe stand-up circuit. With more than 30 always seem like we're outside, looking in on appearances on Late Show with David things. we have the ability to have a removed per Letterman, Johannsen might as well own the spective on every situation. "-jason Taylor sear next ro Dave. He had his own HBO spe cial, This'll Take About an Hour, which People Magazine dubbed one of 1992's 10 Best TV The Stephens Audirorium crowd is rrans Shows and TV Guide routed as one of rhe 50 ftxed on Jake Johannsen. They hang on every Funniest TV Moments of All Time. That's nor word rolling off his sharp rongue. As the roo shabby for a former honors student who words pass by his lips, Johannsen's lefr hand bounced along rrying three majors - veteri moves constantly. Ir weaves each joke, then nary medicine, chemical engineering and slides inro his lefr-pants pocket or brushes advertising- before dropping out in 1982. photos by Eric Fatka october 2001 ETHOS 25 Jump to earlier in the day, before his back on his shifts at the restaurant. "After four Stephens performance. Johannsen is relaxed. years it was like, 'I have to quit my day job Sprawled our on patio furniture, he's munching because they're going to fire me for nor show on sandwiches, sipping a Diet Coke and field ing."' ing questions about life as a comedian. Little Movie roles aside the likes of Mathew things tell you Johannsen is a natural and prac Broderick would follow. Bur even Jake strug ticed performer: his quick wit, his animated gles with the notion of success. "A lot of people hands and his grip on an ice cream bar, which don't get that you can have made a nice life for resembles his mic grip. yourself in show biz without being famous," he "S tand-up is like being a hit man," says. "Nor a lor of people know who I am, bur Johannsen says. "You fly in somewhere and I've got a really sweet life." you're the guy. You show up, you stay in a hotel, you do the show, and then you get back ****** on the plane and leave. " Three former ISU students are based in Los "People want to know how you know that Angeles, trying to carch the same breaks rhar you can do ir," says Johannsen on his decision eventually came Johannsen's way. Carrie Seim, to make comedy a career. "You know that you Leana Benson and Mark Leiknes are studying want to and so you try. " at The Groundlings School of Improvisation, Lunch ends, and Johannsen's ready to tour which boasts all-star alumni including Lisa Ames for the first time in about six years. He's Kudrow of Friends, Paul "Pee-wee Herman" fee ling nostalgic and remembers rending bar at Reubens and several Saturday Night Live cast Aunt Maude's, where he was ripped $100 for members such as Chris Katran, Will Ferrell and his politically incorrect Halloween costume, Ana Gasreyer. "Blind Bob." "People would order a drink, and When Seim moved to Los Angeles, one of I'd stumble around behind the bar and I could the first things she did was audition for classes n't make it," he recalls. "I could have gotten with The Groundlings. "I was jusr kind of itch into a huge amount of trouble, but luckily the ing to be a part of i r, " she says. "Ir was very manager of the restaurant thought it was scary to audition because I'd never been to a funny." professional audition. Everyone rhere had "There is something He stares out the passenger window as the resumes and head shots and had starred in this Blazer rolls around Elwood Drive. One thing is soap opera or this episode of that. Lors of pro so magical about per certain: Johannsen's hands are in motion as he fessional actresses are rhere just trying to add speaks. His hands reflect his cerebral nature, another skill to rheir resume." forming in front of a constantly churning like his mind. Johannsen While growing up in an Omaha suburb, recalls his decision to leave ISU at age 21 and Seim's desire to perform and entertain was evi move to San Francisco to try stand-up. Ir was dent. Now it's snowballed. "There is something live audience. It's nor easy. Or sane. so magical about performing in front of a live "That was crazy to drop our," he says. "If this audience," she says. "It's this amazing mutual this amazmg mutual doesn't work out, you're waiting tables or you're experience that is unlike any other. You give your energy to the crowd, and they give it back to you tenfold." Bur it wasn't until Seim's freshman year at experience that is ISU rhar her short-lived stint in rhe engineer ing college suffocated her creative energy, which she says forced her to feed her creativity with something. Thar something happened to be MoJo's, a newly formed sketch comedy unlike any other. troupe. "I was so miserable in engineering," she You give your energy trying to figure our how to get back into col recalls. "It was morivarion to audition for lege. " Mojo's, to find a creative escape from rhe inces to the crowd, and they His parents had reservations, but ultimately sant studying of calculus and chemistry. it was his decision. "There's basically nothing Similarly, I think the funniest people I know they can do bur support you because if they get come about their humor our of necessity." give it back to you mad at you, you're just going to do it anyway The MoJo's aluma aced her audition and has and hare' em. They gave me advice not to drop progressed to the fourth level of Groundlings tenfold " our, bur once I said I was going to they tried to class work, the writing lab.