Tuesday, 4 August 2009

A Degree in Comedy

What do you call the most pointless qualification imaginable? A Degree in Comedy.

OK, it's not much of a joke, but a degree in comedy is.

Really, I can think of nothing more stupid. Some of my favourite comedians are the following people:-

- Steven Wright. OK, he's got a College qualification.
- Richard Pryor. Expelled from school.
- Eddie Murphy. Started writing comedy at 15.
- George Carlin. Dropped out of school.
- Paul Merton. Left school with an O level in Woodwork.
- Woody Allen*. Was writing at the age of 16.
- Mel Brooks. Comedian is a child.
- Chris Rock. Not sure.

In other words, it really doesn't take much education to be a great comic, and certainly you don't need any qualifications.

Miss George, from Ventnor, on the Isle of Wight, said: 'It is fantastic to be the first girl to complete the course and I think it shows that women can compete with the guys when it comes to comedy.


No, it doesn't mean shit. You've got a piece of paper, which frankly, you've wasted 3 years of your life and thousands of pounds on. It doesn't mean you're the next Eddie Murphy or the next Joan Rivers.

You get a mic and make people laugh more than other comics. That's when you prove you can compete.

There are just too many degrees in subjects that aren't degree-worthy, where traditionally, other routes were taken which served them just fine. Comedy is a mixture of watching others, developing your own style, and some mentoring by more experienced comic writers.

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