The Art of Making Sh!t Up

AUTHOR'S NOTE ON “SHIT”

If you have read all the way to the end of this book, most likely you have either become immune to or annoyed by the constant and gratuitous use of the word “shit.” Sure, I've thrown in a few “assholes” for good measure, but mainly focused on the catch‐all curse word “shit.”

There are several reasons why I decided to use the word so liberally in this book. First off, whenever anyone asks me what I do for work I always answer flippantly, “I make shit up for a living.” It is intended as a humorous response to a general question and hopefully conveys that while I may take my work seriously, I do not take myself nearly so. Second, I am using it for affect. When I teach or direct improv, one of the things that often comes up is swearing. Should you or shouldn't you? Is it cheap or easy? Does it alienate an audience or bring them closer to you? The answer, of course, is in your own personal preference and also the audience to which you're performing for. You can be just as funny on stage working “clean” as you can working “blue” or “dirty.”

You do need to be cognizant of your audience. If you were doing an afternoon matinee show for families, one would rightly make the decision that we should be avoiding swears so as to make the audience comfortable and allow them to enjoy the performance. If you attend the midnight show on Saturdays at Improv Asylum called “Raunch,” then you can expect to see some really nasty shit, and if you didn't, you would most likely ...