How to deal with the ego's and the high school bs?
Everytime I sign myself up to an open mic or just do a set there's always these same type of people I encounter:
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The MC thinking he's the best comedian since Pryor, Carlin. Don't get me wrong, I've met some cool ones but most of them are so fucking full of themselvrs.
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The "IDGAF" a-hole comedian who thinks he/she is Doug Stanhope but is just obnoxious and blackout drunk/high. And the worst part is that they're not even funny. They're just ranting about stuff nobody cares about but in their head they think they're a genius. I remember this one kid in his early twenties who was bombing and decided his bet was resorting to r*pe jokes... The worst thing about that dude is that he ignored fellow comics and only talked to certain comics.
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The fucking drama between comedians. Jfc, especially when it's between male and female comics. But also just between male comics who had some "beef" and they, years later, still hold some weird grudge.
And yeah, if you're doing this as a hobby or as a job, it inherently attracts weirdos but goddamn, I've only met a few "normal" comedians whom you could just have a chat with before and after the show. Some even laughed their ass off (their words) after my set and told me I should definitely continue and we share socials etc. But it's so rare.
Am I the only one experiencing this? Can you share some personal experiences dealing with the bs backstage?
Thanks!
Posted Feb 7, 2026, 10:54 PM UTC