User:Ryan Hasbun/sandbox

= Comedians = Comedy has been around for all of human history. Since the 1930s, comedy has been dominating live and television performances. Comedians are people who are creative and have the ability to make an audience laugh. People worldwide go to see famous comedians such as Kevin Hart or Bill Burr because they make them laugh through special techniques and actions. Comedians like the ones mentioned before have spent years touring the world and mastering their craft. Throughout history there were many forms of comedy such as Shakespeare, stand-up, radio, and television. Each form of comedy was popular at different times throughout history due to external factors such as technology.

History of comedy
Comedy is a type of art that uses external actions, words, or sounds to make people laugh. Comedy began in ancient Greece with the philosopher Aristotle. Aristotle believed that comedy originated from satire and that both satire and comedy originated from the actions of bad men. For centuries after Aristotle, comedy came into different forms. People like William Shakespeare created plays for people to watch and enjoy live while others like Miguel de Cervantes wrote in the form of books like Don Quixote. Since the start of the early 1930s comedy has been extremely popular on live television. Comedians like Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart have had numerous live events and specials on cable television and Netflix.

Shakespeare
William Shakespeare wrote many comedies such as Measure for Measure and The Merchant of Venice. Shakespeare had a different view on comedy as many of his comedies could be considered Romances. In almost all of Shakespeare’s comedies, the two characters end up married.

Stand-up
Stand-up comedy is a performance to a live audience in which the comedian talks directly towards the audience from the stage. Comedians who perform stand-up often have a skit pre-planned that consist of funny stories, actions, or jokes. Most comedians will open with a joke that wakes up the audience so that they are ready to laugh. Some comedians even interact with the audience and build stories off the audience members responses. This type of comedy has become the most popular type of comedy in recent years. Many famous comedians will have their live performances recorded and uploaded to places like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu in-order to reach out to new audiences.

Radio
Radio comedy is a radio broadcast that can involve skits, one-liners, sitcoms, and live performances. Radio comedy was made famous in the 1930s by Raymond Knight after he launched The Cuckoo Hour on NBC. This form of comedy dominated with names like Jack Benny, Fred Allen, and Bob Hope. Radio comedy has slowly become unpopular due to the rise in music and podcasts. Today we see people like Steve Harvey that have morning shows.

Television
Television comedy is a form of broadcasting either live or pre-recorded performances of comedians or actors. Television comedy was made famous first in the 1950s with the American sitcom I Love Lucy. Since then, thousands of different sitcoms have aired and are still being made. In recent years the broadcasting of stand-up comedians has been extremely popular. Comedians such as Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart, and Gabriel Iglesias have specials on Netflix in which they performed live in front of an audience and then played it on Netflix for the world to see. Talk-shows are also a popular form of comedy with hosts like Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Conan O'Brien. Star guests are brought on stage live with the host and are asked series of questions in front of a live audience and later on television.

Comedian success
Famous comedians make a lot of money. The top comedians in the world are worth hundreds of millions. Comedians make a lot of money because they are talented and creative at what they do. All comedians have their own unique take on comedy. It is tough to become a good comedian because it requires persistence and talent. Today, many famous comedians started at local pubs, like Chris Rock, who began his career at an open mic in Red Lobster. Some comedians got famous off of a "big break" in which they were performing live and caught the eye of someone else who was prominent in the industry. Steve Harvey performed a skit at the Apollo that aired on television, making him famous and extremely wealthy. Success in comedy comes from perfecting your own technique.