Dirty Comedy Vs Clean Comedy

Respecting the Craft (Comedy Mindhacks #82)

I was recently inviting some folks to an upcoming comedy show and, as soon as I mentioned the words “clean comedy,” I could see them check out. And they seconded it with their response, “So…you mean un-funny comedy?!” I saw something similar when, on a social media page, a venue shared about an upcoming show I was on. Because it was billed as “clean comedy,” someone left the comment, “Sounds boring.” There are all sorts of misconceptions about “clean comedy,” which I believe is characterized by being able to play anywhere.

But by and large, from my perspective, much of clean comedy is way superior to dirty comedy because the latter is often lacking in skill. I know, I know, that sounds like something a clean comedian would say to justify themselves, but hear me out. When someone goes up and just drops an F-bomb to get a reaction, they don’t have to work as hard for the laugh. When someone tries to stir things up by saying shocking things, that’s not appreciating the craft.

Personally, I work clean because it forces me to be better. I’m not offended by profanity per se. It’s just that when the cheap tools (i.e. vulgarity, shock, cussing, etc.) stop working, you have to get better, more reliable ones. And here’s something I’ve noticed watching comedians for some years now: the ones who rely on blue material often can’t perform in half the rooms that exist (corporate events, churches, fundraisers, schools, family shows, etc.). Why? Because they’ve trained themselves to need the shock. And when the shock isn’t available, they don’t have a backup plan, and worst of all, their material doesn’t travel.

Clean comedy, however, can travel just about anywhere. I can do the same set at a bar on Friday night and a church breakfast on Sunday morning. I can perform for college students and their grandparents in the same room. In my view, that’s not a limitation; it’s a superpower. Many of the comedians I admire most can work clean if they have to. That’s because they actually know what they’re doing.

Some of the greatest comedians in history have worked blue. The thing is: they earned it. They learned to construct a joke without it. That’s the distinction most people miss: it’s not about the words a comedian uses; it’s about whether they could still be funny without blue terms. Do they know how to write a joke? Do they know the craft and respect it?

When I teach joke writing, I always start with clean constraints. I have students write every joke without any profanity. This teaches them how to make it work with just structure and surprise. Once they can do that, they’ve built a muscle. Then if they were to choose to add language later, well, it’s simply a creative decision, not a crutch. It’d be like adding spice to a dish that already tastes good rather than some meal where I’m trying to cover up bad ingredients.

The comedy world often treats clean comedians like we’re playing on easy mode and/or avoiding the real stuff. I’d argue that clean comedians play on hard mode. Every laugh has to be earned through craft alone. Frankly, that’s not a limitation I apologize for but a standard I’m proud of.

JOKE WRITING COURSE: By the way, if you have any interest at all in learning about your persona, how to write some jokes, or doing stand-up comedy, check out my online joke writing course, “The Joke Writer’s Lab,” HERE.

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