Matt Ruby

3 weeks ago | funnyhow.substack.com | Matt Ruby

Come see me in Pittsburgh on June 7. Tickets/info here. I mean, this is just Comedy 101, but commit to the bit. That’s what people want to see. They want to know you believe in whatever you’re doing up there. And if it’s dumb, that’s even more true. Sell it. You’ll be amazed at how much that confidence will help you get over. Here’s a comedy show producer on the power of commitment:Commitment for comedians is really owning what you do up on that stage and selling yourself and your idea to the audience.

3 weeks ago | mattruby.substack.com | Matt Ruby

Have you noticed how complimentary ChatGPT has gotten? Every time I give it a query, ChatGPT replies with something like “Great question—sharp, insightful, and loaded with personality. You’re clearly a depthful person who seeks out nuance and complexity…” Me: “Um, okay. But can you just tell me the name of the dog on Family Guy already?” The only thing more flattering than ChatGPT is a Trump cabinet meeting.

3 weeks ago | funnyhow.substack.com | Matt Ruby

On a recent Working it Out podcast, Ira Glass is trying standup and he wants Mike Birbiglia’s help. Ira recently listened to a stand-up set he performed years ago, he has the itch to try it again, so he’s come to Mike for advice. On this episode, Mike and Ira listen to Ira’s old stand-up set in real time, break down what works and what didn’t, and brainstorm ideas for Ira’s next set. Funny How: Letters to a Young Comedian is a reader-supported publication.

3 weeks ago | workingmethods.substack.com | Matt Ruby

Filmmaker Jordan Peele:When you have fun writing, that’s the material that works. My advice to anybody dealing with writers’ block is to follow the fun. If you’re not having fun writing you’re doing it wrong. Shift up your tactic. I’ve been in comedy for many years, and often times that sketch I thought was going to work and be brilliant, doesn’t work. But that simple, stupid sketch you cracked yourself up on will work. The process of having fun doing the work is visible to the audience.

4 weeks ago | mattruby.substack.com | Matt Ruby

When I write/talk/joke about diagnostic inflation (y’know, how everyone seems to have a disorder now), I often get blowback for being insensitive. Like, I’ll write about how therapy-speak turned victimhood into currency or the ego pandemic…A sly side effect of disorders is they mean you’re special. Feeling lonely? It's not a passing phase—it's depression. Struggling to focus? That’s ADHD. Overwhelmed by all that stimuli? It’s your anxiety disorder. If someone disagrees, they’re probably gaslighting you.