A couple years ago Joe Rogan confronted Carlos Mencia, on stage, about joke stealing and a clip of it went viral. It was the first time a lot of fans of standup comedy learned how much we despise jokes thieves, and, to that end, the clip was good for standup comedy. But it created a minor, negative effect: some people believe that joke-stealing happens at all shows.

Thus, there is a group of people who look for thieves at comedy shows- sort of, joke vigilantes. Luckily they are a small group- in eight years of standup comedy, I’ve only run into 4 of them. It always goes some thing like this:

me: leaving stage at the end of the show, thanking people

random drunk guy: “Hey you stole that whole act!”

me: “what?”

random drunk guy: “yeah, a couple of those bits, word for word. That one about google, for sure.”

me: “None of them are stolen…. … maybe some one has a bit on the same topic. Where did you hear the google joke?”

I have full confidence that no one has stolen a joke, but, if there is a comic out there doing a similar bit, I’d like to know since –if it’s some noticeable part of a famous comic’s act– I will probably drop the joke… I’m sighing because I’m equally certain this drunk guy is going to be useless at explaining why / where he thinks he heard the joke

random drunk guy: “Not sure… …On TV. Maybe the internet.”

me: “do you know what comic? Was he famous? Anything about it?”

random drunk guy: “Can’t remember- but, yeah, it was word for word stolen.”

me: “OK, well, I can assure you I didn’t steal any of my jokes.”

random drunk guy: “You just better watch it, is all I gotta say”

Then they leave, being zero help and clearly disappointed that a big, professor-plum-in-the-library moment didn’t occur.

I raise this topic because I got this (kind of hilarious) email after one of my performances at Just for Laughs:

“Saw the show tonight at Lincoln Hall. Thought I heard you tell a joke I heard told by Phil Rosenthal on Mark Maron’s WTF podcast. WTF? Did he steal it from you or did you steal it from him? Made me wonder if everything you said was yours or not. Were you the first comic after the host? It was the spicy menu bit. Not cool. People listen to that show and word gets out.”

Since a lot of fans of standup comedy read my blog (‘lot’ = 9), I thought, perhaps, I can offer some strategy tips on how to confront some one you (probably incorrectly) suspect of joke stealing:

First, know that (much like real crime fighting) it’s handled most often, and best, by the professionals. The reason you can only name three or four joke thieves is because most are identified at the open mike level, immediately blacked balled in their town, and soon quit. They rarely last more than a month and almost never, ever (ever) get famous.

That said… say you are still positive it was stolen: confront the producer, not the comic. Confronting the comic creates an impossible situation, where neither believes the other guy is right (or being honest), and you both walk away thinking the other guy is a liar or incompetent. But the producer is more objective and if he or she forcefully insists the joke is not stolen, well- you are more likely to listen (and –if it truly is stolen– you are more likely to get a result, this way). Everyone involved (including the comic) will get more out of it, if you confront the producer.

Happy Hunting, everyone.

As an addendum, my reply to the emailer, not that it matters too much (since he won’t believe me):

I don’t know who Phil Rosenthal is and can’t imagine any possible scenario where he stole the joke from me or has even seen me perform. I scanned through that episode and didn’t hear it, but I didn’t listen to the full thing.

I certainly didn’t steal it, in fact- it would be impossible.

You don’t just show up at JFL. I auditioned almost a year ago –at the Beat Kitchen– with that very joke in my act. It was in my one man show, which, in various forms, is over two years old.

The WTF episode you’re talking about is less than a month old.

Perhaps I figured –for these hot shows– I needed to steal the perfect joke (from a proven comedy figure), but, because I didn’t have time to wait for their next appearance, I just went ahead and wrote it first.

Or –maybe– we both have dads who use odd, unhip sayings? That could also be the explanation.

I don’t want to sound catty or indignant, but you shouldn’t throw around accusations of joke stealing (against me or Rosenthel) so cavalierly. It’s the cardinal sin –perhaps the only sin– in our business. Very few comics do it, and they are pariahs that festivals like JFL wouldn’t likely touch with a 10 foot pole.

Usually, when such things come up, it is almost always due to two comics having a similar reaction to a similar experience.

If some thing as complex as calculus can be invented at the same time (by Leibniz and Netwon), it’s not hard to imagine a couple of white comics sharing the same thought about dads being unhip around attractive women.

Take care, and I hope you continue to support and follow live comedy so closely…. though I’d ask, you be less trigger happy in your joke vigilantism.

Sean

Finally, some closing metrics on joke vigilantes: of the four people who have confronted me, I never heard back from 2 of them, after giving them my card if they can remember more info (that includes the above emailer).

The other two realized, after talking further, they saw me a few months earlier and were too drunk to place it.