My interview with Keenan Kissinger on his "Comedians in Elevators" podcast on Dec 10, 2025 Comedians In Elevators Podcast Theme: to compare and contrast the comedian (funny person telling any jokes) verse the comic (any person telling funny jokes). By Custom Comedy Corporation Introduction: A comic is anyone who tells funny jokes; a comedian is a funny person — two sides of the same coin. In this episode, we explore how these identities overlap, differ, and define the art of making people laugh by taking "The Ego Mask" OFF. The Role of Persona in Comedy • How much of the comedian’s voice is a character vs. their real self? • Does authenticity matter, or is the d illusion part of the magic? Punching Up vs. Punching Down • Where do comics vs. comedians stand on this? Did a jealous medieval prince become the first comedian by killing the court jester? • Is the audience’s agreement with a comedian a form of permission or alignment? Cultural Translation of Comedy • How do jokes that work in one country bomb in another? How different would it be if the same thing started looking now like it would not change if nothing else really did? • Are comics more universal while comedians are more culturally specific? Crowd Work vs. Crafted Work • If comics riff like influencers in the comments section and comedians perform like in reaction videos, Where’s the sweet spot? • What happens when a comic leans too much into crowd work? Or when a comedian gets heckled? Advertising and Self-Promotion • Who advertises themselves more — the comic or the comedian or magician? • Is self-promotion seen as selling out, or is it necessary for survival? Censorship & Offense • Does a comic avoid offense, while a comedian courts it to prove a point like a magician? • Who survives better in a "cancel culture" environment, the comic, comedian, magician or mud slinger? Timing & Delivery: Science or Art? • Do comics rely more on structure, and comedians more on rhythm and emotion? Laughter vs. Applause • Are comics chasing laughs, and comedians chasing applause breaks or a Primetime Emmy that validate the message? Comedy as Commentary • When does a comedian cross into being a philosopher or a preacher? • Is that good, or does it dilute the humor? Boardgame Zoomcast: Play vs. Performance • If comedy were a boardgame Zoomcast, are you competing as the Colorist (adding tone, mood, and shading) or the Foley Artist (building punchlines with soundscapes and timing)? • Does comedy work better when it’s painted vividly (comic) or when it’s orchestrated sonically (comedian)? Tradition: Guest Question or LIVE! Legacy: Who Gets Remembered? • Will the comic's tight five survive time, or will the comedian's cultural POV be more timeless? Brian T Shirley: Right now in your comic journey would you rather have your own Netflix special or go on tour with any comedian as an opening act for a year? *** Thumbnail created with https://app.runwayml.com/ Prompt: Please turn image into a png with a transparent background, and remove the text "#OPENTOWORK" and the face is turned into a rough, expressive charcoal or pencil storyboard sketch with dynamic, gestural line work. Elevator Pitch for Robot Tarot: Robot Tarot is a surreal action-comedy about a telepathic tarot-reading underdog who discovers that glowing blue cave mushrooms can power both human enlightenment and a Zero-Point Energy revolution. When his former friend who is now a corporate villain with a weaponized cochlear implant who starts cloning people, hijacking AI, and unleashing murderous delivery drones, our hero must embrace his strange gifts, rebuild alliances, and unlock a cosmic orb that can rewrite reality itself. Blending psychedelia, satire, sci-fi, and spiritual awakening, Robot Tarot is a wild origin story about consciousness, free will, and the bizarre future of everyday life. Logline: A telepathic tarot reader discovers that bioluminescent cave mushrooms can unlock Zero-Point Energy, thrusting him into a psychedelic war against a former friend who is now a corporate tyrant controlling clones, drones, and a weaponized cochlear implant now forcing him to embrace cosmic powers to save free will itself. Snappy Pitch: A misfit psychic with a deck of tarot cards battles his high-tech ex-best friend now turned a corporate villain with killer drones and clone armies racing after trippy blue cave mushrooms awakening a cosmic energy source that could transform the world. ...or 15-Second Ultra-Short Pitch: Robot Tarot follows a telepathic tarot reader who unlocks a world-changing energy source hidden in glowing cave mushrooms. When his corporate-psychopath ex-friend weaponizes clones, drones, and AI to seize control, he must master impossible powers to protect human consciousness itself. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bts-comedy--2591871/support.
