Stand-up comedy, much like every other field in the performing arts, relies heavily on timing and audience reaction. Sometimes, the perfect timing and the perfect audience reaction come together seamlessly, and it's magic. That is what every comedian dreams of, and that is precisely what the local New York comedian Kevin Smith (Not that Kevin Smith) thought he had achieved at a recent bringer show in Greenwich Village.
As Smith took the center stage, there was an electric buzz in the small room. The audience consisted of a mix of tourists and locals, all excited to see some live entertainment after the pandemic stunted all live performances. It was Smith's opening joke, and he thought it would kill. It didn't.
The joke goes as follows - "Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself? Because it was two-tired." Smith delivered the punchline with conviction, with a slight pause for emphasis, but there was only a smattering of polite laughter from the audience. Despite the weak reaction, Smith knew he had nailed it, that he had one-upped every comedian that had ever existed before him. Unfortunately, the audience didn't share his enthusiasm. Only four people laughed, two of whom were his cousins.
Even after the show, Smith couldn't shake it off and went on to survey various comedy forums and online communities to gauge people's reaction to his joke. Most of the responses were scathing. One Reddit user wrote, "It's not even a joke. It's a cheesy pun." Another comment read, "I cringed so hard I almost dislocated my jaw."
Smith's close friends, who implored him to try a different joke, had to bear the brunt of his unwavering conviction. Smith went on to start a Twitter campaign to make "two-tired" a trending hashtag worldwide, and his Facebook updates comprised various permutations of the joke. His Instagram was littered with photoshopped images of bicycles, each with an accompanying caption containing some variation of the joke.
As the weeks went by, Smith's joke became a running joke among his friends. It was usually tossed around in jest whenever there was a lull in conversation. Smith, not one to give up, took the setback as an opportunity to show his resilience. He was stronger and funnier than ever before. Or so he thought.
It wasn't until a few weeks ago that Kevin, whilst watching an old episode of Spongebob Squarepants, realized the joke he had thought he had invented was literally featured in an episode "Suds." Mr. Krab delivers a similar joke to the two-tired one that sent Smith spiraling. Suffice it to say, it wasn't Kevin Smith’s joke to give.
To his credit, Smith has taken the controversy in stride. He issued a statement apologizing for his rookie mistake, saying, "I had no idea the joke wasn't mine to claim. I should have done my research better. I am sorry if I have, in any way, misled people or caused them to think less of me as a comedian. I am still learning and growing every day."
With that said, Smith's comedy career is not over yet. He has taken this as an opportunity to learn and grow, and he promises to incorporate his newfound knowledge into his future performances. For now, though, he is merely trying to get over his own joke. A tough two-tired indeed.
