That Goofy Voice Comics Do In Stand-Up
While watching stand-up routines, I’ve noticed an interesting thing comics do with their voices when they act other people out. I won’t name the comics but you can have fun figuring out who they are in the Indian scene. Most act-outs done by comics fall somewhere on this extremely scientific spectrum.
Same Voice: Comics in this category don’t do any voice especially. In their bits, the other characters talk just like them. The comic’s mother talks like the comic, the comic’s father talks like the comic, the comic’s friends talk like the comic, comic’s boss talks like the comic, even the comic’s maid talks like the comic.
That One Goofy Voice: These comics do that one peculiar voice. It is often an extremely annoying or dumb voice.
Many Character Voices: A lot of comics are able to pull off a variety of characters on stage. The voices they do have distinct traits — a commenter who’s snooty, a psychology student who can’t wait to empathize, a reality show contestant trying to impress, or a mother who’s paranoid.
Some comics fall exclusively in one category. Some comics are intermediates in those categories. One famous comic does normal voices for agreeable people in his act and then does the ‘goofy voice’ for people he doesn’t like. Another famous comic has a lot of voices, but when angry resorts to his own goofy voice. Another comic going extremely middle — does many versions of the same goofy voice. And it is that goofy voice I want to talk about.
In the stand-up scene, I notice a large chunk of comics use the goofy voice for social commentary. On one hand, it’s quick and efficient. Once you do it, people immediately know whom to root for and whom to hate. And we know how much people assembled at a place love to hate. Basically, everybody enjoys the night.
On the other hand, it’s a sad irony. These voices are often used to portray people who are prejudiced. It’s a voice that’s designed to make someone sound stupid or annoying, even before they finish a single sentence. No matter what you say in that voice, it sounds dumb. You’re being made to judge someone before you hear what they’ve said.
It plays the same game that regressive folk play. I’m sure you can find one regressive speaker of your native language on YouTube. And check their commentary on life choices of I.T employees. You’ll find them doing their version of goofy voice for us. Don’t know about you, I can’t help laugh my ass off watching stiff folk do the goofy. It’s a moment of beauty.
Speakers of native language remind me of one very problematic variation of the goofy voice — Regional accent as a substitute for goofy voice. I’ve noticed at least two famous comics do the Marathi accent whenever they have to present a regressive side as if progressive thoughts are a monopoly of people with neutral accents.
I’ve met people with problematic ideas who have accents. But the people who bear the brunt of their mindsets also had the same accent. Problematic idea people sound like every other person from their region. In fact, if you go by the current events, a lot of them are excellent orators.
In that sense comics who do no special voice seem to be closer to reality, whether they want to or not. All the people around them sound close to the way the comics sound.
Now, after reading this you maybe tempted to judge ‘goofy voice’ comics. Which is completely opposite to the intention of the article — minimizing judgmental attitudes.
I’m not above it. I find judging people, comics especially, almost orgasmic. In fact, I do it before I do anything else. Then I remind myself who am I say who’s better? In fact, who’s anyone to say who’s better? All kinds of comics have, more or less, made it. They have their loyal fan base. While a comic making voices is skillful, a comic standing still and retaining attention may have figured out a different set of skills altogether. And even the comics who do that goofy voice, everyone has their own version of dumb/annoying voice which were arrived at, mostly, by a lot of attempts. They are still an act of creation. That in and itself is worthy of some respect.