Updated: Chris Rock Speaks On Being A Black Comedian Coming Up In Comedy. [Audio]

To attain a certain status as a comedian requires years and years of hard work along with some blood, sweat, and tears. Then with the arrival of YouTube and comedy driven websites a new avenue for stand ups to be seen began. Here enters the sketch performer otherwise known as the online comedian. With a funny idea and access to a semi decent camera the internet game began to buzz and introduce us to new stars. These people didn’t have to put in the countless years of being an unpaid busboy or putting up chairs at a comedy club once the show was over to maybe get five minutes “in a few weeks.” These new creative types had a comedic vision and a YouTube page to upload. Some have become famous and many, as I’ve come to understand, feed their families off of this “YouTube shit. Admittedly, I didn’t put much stock into Youtube until I was able to see some of my friends take a chance on themselves and put their work out there to be judged by people all over the World. I began to see the value in YouTube sketches because I’m a writer who was raised on sketch comedy and writes at least a sketch a day. If I can’t get a network to hire me on their sketch show why not display my work and bring a network to me? It’s a no brainer.

I’ve been able to see the value in both worlds and how it can help you grow as a creator. Isn’t that what we’re all trying to do out here? Grow and get better? Be you an online comedian or a stand up comedian, you’re putting your creative life on the line every time you step on that stage or upload that sketch.