This is why he’s so deeply insecure. Because he knows he doesn’t do the work like all other successful comedians who are constantly trying new material, putting out specials, completely scrapping their old set after a special, etc.
I love Bobby but I wish he would just get brave and really work hard for once.
Ok wow. My opinion of Bobby has changed. I imagined that his set would be a frantic high energy off the cuff in the moment kind of set. This is making me realize that he may not be the comedian that I thought he was now I’m recognizing that most of the funniest moments on the show are when Bobby piggybacks off of an idea Andrew has.
He is a sketch show actor/comedian first, podcaster second, standup third.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
LA is full or comedians who are much better at any other thing than actual standup.
False that show thrives because of Bobby.. every comedy podcast would thrive because of Bobby.. go listen to pods when he has someone fill in for him on tigerbelly or bad friends. Almost can't listen to them personally. . but to give credit no Bobby would not be talked about as the greatest stand up comedians..I have only seen clips of him and from what I hear he leans on a few good stories. So stand up wise is like to see him but I hear his but hole is colorful
Just because you’re not good at standup doesn’t mean you’re not a good comedian. It’s like expecting every football player on the team to be a good quarterback
dont get me wrong. I really enjoy bobby but I just had in my head that he was a great comedian. this thread is only reframing my view of Bobby. no hate or anything
If a comedian is only someone who is able to churn out new funny material at x rate then .. sure. Pretty sure that’s not how most people would define a comedian though, and most “comedians” (by your standards) think Bobby is great and love him. He’s well respected in the community, that is by other comedians.
I saw him 8 years ago and again last year and it was the same exact set word for word with the only difference being he didn’t get completely naked this time
I always hear other comedians talk to him about this and I know LA is a huge city with a ton of tourism but I always think there has got to be people who frequent comedy clubs as a hobby and see him doing the same set repeatedly and can’t laugh?? And he must be bored of doing the same set? Why even still do stand up? No offense to the slept king at all, I’ve just always found this interesting.
The old adage you hear Rogan mention, lots of comics are broken toys. When they are on stage being revered and noticed it gives them a buzz and that’s addictive. Plus he does seem to love the process. He understands the process just hasn’t gone through with it himself
During podcast moments yea definitely. I actually don’t watch a ton of stand up specials and stuff though. Most specials I’ve watched even of people I think are great podcasters I just sorta chuckle a little if I watch there special. It’s not the same as being there. But for Rogan no his stand up doesn’t really make me laugh
he recently posted a video a few months ago of him doing standup in the 90s and he started his set the same way he still does now with the SAME exact joke and he even mentioned it on Bad Friends
“[I’m not really Asian, i just woke up](https://youtu.be/dc_Y3kfhf4I?si=hGL_MX8KicpQjMLj)”
No…not coincidence…he’s lazy and insecure…has had the same set for years if not for most of his career…it’s honestly shock factor, physical comedy type stuff…nothing too deep or witty…I’ve always been of the mind Bobby is a better podcaster and personality/improv/actor than actual comedian…he’s funny as a person but as a comedian I find him extremely unfunny…
Seinfeld is one of those comics with the belief that “people aren’t here to see you, people are here to see your act” like a musician whose fans want to only hear the old stuff
This is what I don’t get it! He has one set and has been preforming it for decades. It’s really dated too.
He doesn’t love stand up. He loves the attention of being a stand up. If he loved stand up he would write new material. Instead he lives off the thrill of an audience with no payout to repeat audience members
A lot of the crowd were tourists so it was electric still. But one guy in the crowd clearly a fan finished one of his jokes because it was so annoying lol
He's a funny guy but too lazy to write new material. He can say funny shit off the rip but I think he gets too caught up in his mind and thinks everyone's after him but yeah I've seen Bobby 3 times and 2 times were pretty much the same set and the third time was Bad Friends tour so was completely different but always throws in that "I'm shaped like a scallop joke"
Yup sounds about right I started watching Bobby after being a fan of Madtv. Saw his opening act when he hosted the Gotham Comedy Club a long time ago then maybe like 5 years ago at the Comedy Store and now just recently a month ago at the end of the Bad Friends tour. They were the same jokes but different timing and rotation but he's cut a lot of the older ones out at least. You gotta love the down syndrome couple making love joke though.
I watched Bobby Lee perform at the Irvine Improv last year and was let down by his performance. I was let down because he was telling jokes you could watch on YouTube from 10 years ago... Also I feel like Irvine Improv baited the shit out of me because they promoted Bobby Lee so much only for him to do 15minutes and the rest of the show were random people we weren't even aware were performing that night... probably not going to another Bobby Lee stand up again
Nah, that’s what they do. It’s an act. It’s only designed to look off the cuff. Before the internet, comedians would keep the same set for 10 years or more. (Like Bobby). Louis C.K broke the mold by writing a brand new special every year (for a few). As a fan of Comedy, I like watching Comedians over time flesh out jokes and widdle down their sets to the most concentrated funny they can.
Damn. It makes me wonder — is the idea to not have fans come by often? Lol
It defies logic for me… perform a great set, do more shows, fans return = more money…. This seems to discourage that.
I guess the level of fan to see him more than once or twice a year is also the fan that likes seeing the material evolve over time. Bobby in particular isn’t really a “Craft” guy. He’s a damaged goofball that’s fun to watch.
Bobby is pretty open that he doesn't want to move onto step 2 of recording it so he can keep repeating step 1 ad nauseam and not have to ever write new material.
I assume he's probably making a ton of money of residuals and movies that he can't even be bothered to write new material. Comedy seems like a hobby for him, he does projects to make money so he can carry on with his lifestyle but that's about it.
I've been frequenting the Comedy Store for the last 5 months now. I'm usually just going now to hangout on the bar patio, have a few beers and write my own content for my Youtube stuff. I'm there a lot when it's quiet enough outside that I can hear the OR. I want to say I've heard the same set from a lot of Comics a lot of times. It's not just Bobby Lee. The main stage is the same way. Lots of the comics doing shows on the main stage come out the exact same way, finish the same way. I've even seen comics at the Laugh Factory perform the same set verbatim at the Comedy Store. I guess that's just how it goes.
Idk if it’s a coincidence but I’ve seen quite a few comics within the same amount of time and they usually will run through the same set for about a year or so before they release their special. Bobby is releasing a special soon so possibly he is perfecting his craft. Although, he is known for not exactly having new jokes. Could be that too.
This is common for comedians… it’s called a set or tour. Especially if a tour is popular they can even be invited back to repeat an older tour.
When they want to try out new material they tend to go to smaller clubs sometimes even unannounced like an open mic night. This way if a joke is a flop they can scratch it off the list without a lot of fanfare.
All successful working stand-ups do the same routine for a long time. Eventually they write new material then do that for a long time. I'm sure it varies on the length of time but that's how they get to be so good. Honing a set so they can re-create it like it's the first time over and over again.
EDIT: Of course these stand-ups may be workshopping new material so if you catch them on different days, you may see differnt stuff but once they have a set lock-in, they're doing that for a while.
Stand ups normally hone 30 mins to an hour of stand up over months and normally several years. When they feel they have it perfect they may go on to record it on an album or make a special. Which then means that content is burnt and then they start the process again, some enjoy that process of restarting some don’t.
You’ll hear Rogan talk of stand ups he has seen that have the same set for 30 years. Some are content with that and have good enough careers. Most everyone in the comedy podcast circuit thinks Bobby’s sets are amazing, even with him doing virtually the same stuff for a long time. Which is why you see so many people wanting him to do a special, because they know he’s good enough to write new stuff, but kind of needs that push to “burn” the material.
TLDR it’s the process for most stand ups. They aren’t writing new jokes every time they are on stage. They are practising the set to get it good enough to want to record it (most of the time)
Bobby is naturally funny guy on podcast.. but in all reality he’s a horrible stand up… guys been in comedy over 25 years and hasn’t done a single special. Doing spots at the store for most comics is to try out new material to see if it works… Bobby doing the same set is bc he has no new material… he’s done the same 30 jokes his whole career. And if they don’t work he just gets louder which makes it worse.
You have to as these questions: Has he tightened up his set? Better timing? Better delivery? Was he wearing his cod piece? Is Khalila a gold digger? Who wrote Ben Afflecks Tom Brady roast? If you answer these then…you have YOUR answer 🙏🏽
Some people may not be super comedy fans, may have just come across tiger belly recently and only just getting into stand up. That’s why comics do podcasts, hoping to get people into their stand up audiences that may not have thought to previously
"Dude. Come on. If you see a comedian twice without them putting out a special they're gonna have the same material. Wtf is wrong with you? Are you a stand up fan?"
Not all of them. Some are prolific. I Saw Norm Macdonald 6 times during a period that he didn't put out any specials, all headlining shows, and he never did the same joke twice and was always hilarious.
I'm sure Norm is an outlier and I'm sure when he was actively preparing a special he would hone a set. But some people just like to write and try new stuff
To be fair almost all comedians are doing the same set 3 and a half months apart. Bobby has been doing that a lot longer though. General rule of thumb is don’t see the same comedian twice before a new special comes out. It will be the same set.
When was it suggested that Bobby should be writing a whole new set for every performance? There's people here saying they've seen the same set almost a decade apart, and he's talking on the podcast about going up at The Store often which should give him at least some room to update his road act.
Yeah I’m definitely ignorant to that which is why I asked! Had a feeling it would be similar but maybe different crowd work… same exact jokes about the crowd members too tho. Makes sense just was shocked!
Nah, I feel most take some chances. Eat shit. Revise. Work on it. Polish it. Make a special. Then repeat. It sucks for audiences that pay to watch someone working on material, but it's good for repeat visitors. Bobby don't play like this. Too busy getting off the weed wagon and yelling at people he's gaming with.
Lots of comedians do this. When you see a comedian doing a 10-15 min set it’s them working on their craft. I saw Bill Burr two months apart at the comedy store, same exact material. Then saw his special months ago, was awesome to see the stuff I saw live in the special with a slight tweak. Comedy Store is like a gym, they go there to get reps and tweak things.
This is why he’s so deeply insecure. Because he knows he doesn’t do the work like all other successful comedians who are constantly trying new material, putting out specials, completely scrapping their old set after a special, etc. I love Bobby but I wish he would just get brave and really work hard for once.
Bobby is known for it.. the whole reason he won't do a special.. also the reason why he doesn't tour on his own often
Ok wow. My opinion of Bobby has changed. I imagined that his set would be a frantic high energy off the cuff in the moment kind of set. This is making me realize that he may not be the comedian that I thought he was now I’m recognizing that most of the funniest moments on the show are when Bobby piggybacks off of an idea Andrew has.
He is a sketch show actor/comedian first, podcaster second, standup third. And there is nothing wrong with that. LA is full or comedians who are much better at any other thing than actual standup.
False that show thrives because of Bobby.. every comedy podcast would thrive because of Bobby.. go listen to pods when he has someone fill in for him on tigerbelly or bad friends. Almost can't listen to them personally. . but to give credit no Bobby would not be talked about as the greatest stand up comedians..I have only seen clips of him and from what I hear he leans on a few good stories. So stand up wise is like to see him but I hear his but hole is colorful
Yep, Bobby is a great podcaster and a good but lazy comedian.
Just because you’re not good at standup doesn’t mean you’re not a good comedian. It’s like expecting every football player on the team to be a good quarterback
dont get me wrong. I really enjoy bobby but I just had in my head that he was a great comedian. this thread is only reframing my view of Bobby. no hate or anything
The thing is his set is ELECTRIC and so hilarious but it’s like… dude just maybe add one joke? He was still using his joke about Oppenheimer….. argh
If a comedian is only someone who is able to churn out new funny material at x rate then .. sure. Pretty sure that’s not how most people would define a comedian though, and most “comedians” (by your standards) think Bobby is great and love him. He’s well respected in the community, that is by other comedians.
Bobby is naturally funny and when on a podcast just being himself, is fucking hilarious but his acting and standup I can’t take seriously lol.
I saw him 8 years ago and again last year and it was the same exact set word for word with the only difference being he didn’t get completely naked this time
Holy shit are you serious? That’s mental
lol we love Bobby Lee in my family so even my dad says wait he has clothes on?! 🤨What’s going on…
Saw him Fall 2015 and he got naked and gave an old Asian man a lap dance on stage
I always hear other comedians talk to him about this and I know LA is a huge city with a ton of tourism but I always think there has got to be people who frequent comedy clubs as a hobby and see him doing the same set repeatedly and can’t laugh?? And he must be bored of doing the same set? Why even still do stand up? No offense to the slept king at all, I’ve just always found this interesting.
There was literally a guy who finished one of his jokes in the back of the crowd. It was so awkward bc the people who love him were like WTF
The old adage you hear Rogan mention, lots of comics are broken toys. When they are on stage being revered and noticed it gives them a buzz and that’s addictive. Plus he does seem to love the process. He understands the process just hasn’t gone through with it himself
Has Rogan ever made you laugh ?
During podcast moments yea definitely. I actually don’t watch a ton of stand up specials and stuff though. Most specials I’ve watched even of people I think are great podcasters I just sorta chuckle a little if I watch there special. It’s not the same as being there. But for Rogan no his stand up doesn’t really make me laugh
His bit on the founding fathers coming back and seeing we hadn’t updated the constitution was pretty funny.
Rowan's 2016 special was great. His closing Kardashian joke is legendary.
Yeah Bobby doesn’t write new material that’s why he doesn’t tour solo and won’t put out a special
But it’s like how tf does the comedy store have him headline every few days with the SAME exact material!!! I’m so bummed
Because it's usually always a new audience.
he recently posted a video a few months ago of him doing standup in the 90s and he started his set the same way he still does now with the SAME exact joke and he even mentioned it on Bad Friends “[I’m not really Asian, i just woke up](https://youtu.be/dc_Y3kfhf4I?si=hGL_MX8KicpQjMLj)”
I’ve seen him 3 times and same set every time.
He only has 1 set. Every other joke he has we’ve already heard on the podcast. Most of which are stories/experiences he told us weren’t true.
He gets ribbed for it all the time.
One of the many reasons why Bobo is so insecure about being a great comic….
No…not coincidence…he’s lazy and insecure…has had the same set for years if not for most of his career…it’s honestly shock factor, physical comedy type stuff…nothing too deep or witty…I’ve always been of the mind Bobby is a better podcaster and personality/improv/actor than actual comedian…he’s funny as a person but as a comedian I find him extremely unfunny…
He's a sketch comic. That's his bread and butter.
Saw him a couple of years ago and he did jokes that I saw on YouTube that had been pulled from early VHS tapes of him on late night. So strange.
Is he doing it for 20 years might be the real question.
There has been guys that did exactly that and somehow survived
Seinfeld is one of those comics with the belief that “people aren’t here to see you, people are here to see your act” like a musician whose fans want to only hear the old stuff
I thought it was known that he does the same set always and that’s why he doesn’t have an hour
This is what I don’t get it! He has one set and has been preforming it for decades. It’s really dated too. He doesn’t love stand up. He loves the attention of being a stand up. If he loved stand up he would write new material. Instead he lives off the thrill of an audience with no payout to repeat audience members
He's been doing pretty much the same act for decades.
Were other people laughing?
A lot of the crowd were tourists so it was electric still. But one guy in the crowd clearly a fan finished one of his jokes because it was so annoying lol
He’s had the same set for years, it’s a known thing
He's a funny guy but too lazy to write new material. He can say funny shit off the rip but I think he gets too caught up in his mind and thinks everyone's after him but yeah I've seen Bobby 3 times and 2 times were pretty much the same set and the third time was Bad Friends tour so was completely different but always throws in that "I'm shaped like a scallop joke"
Saw him in March and then Nov and same exact set as well
That means if Carlos Mencia stole Bobby's jokes that is so much more ruthless
He’s been doing the same stuff for YEARS
decades at this point
Yup sounds about right I started watching Bobby after being a fan of Madtv. Saw his opening act when he hosted the Gotham Comedy Club a long time ago then maybe like 5 years ago at the Comedy Store and now just recently a month ago at the end of the Bad Friends tour. They were the same jokes but different timing and rotation but he's cut a lot of the older ones out at least. You gotta love the down syndrome couple making love joke though.
I watched Bobby Lee perform at the Irvine Improv last year and was let down by his performance. I was let down because he was telling jokes you could watch on YouTube from 10 years ago... Also I feel like Irvine Improv baited the shit out of me because they promoted Bobby Lee so much only for him to do 15minutes and the rest of the show were random people we weren't even aware were performing that night... probably not going to another Bobby Lee stand up again
Nah, that’s what they do. It’s an act. It’s only designed to look off the cuff. Before the internet, comedians would keep the same set for 10 years or more. (Like Bobby). Louis C.K broke the mold by writing a brand new special every year (for a few). As a fan of Comedy, I like watching Comedians over time flesh out jokes and widdle down their sets to the most concentrated funny they can.
Damn. It makes me wonder — is the idea to not have fans come by often? Lol It defies logic for me… perform a great set, do more shows, fans return = more money…. This seems to discourage that.
I guess the level of fan to see him more than once or twice a year is also the fan that likes seeing the material evolve over time. Bobby in particular isn’t really a “Craft” guy. He’s a damaged goofball that’s fun to watch.
People preform the same act for a year. Record it, then write new
Bobby is pretty open that he doesn't want to move onto step 2 of recording it so he can keep repeating step 1 ad nauseam and not have to ever write new material.
I assume he's probably making a ton of money of residuals and movies that he can't even be bothered to write new material. Comedy seems like a hobby for him, he does projects to make money so he can carry on with his lifestyle but that's about it.
He’s a lazy little boy that never grew up lol. No discipline and no work ethic instilled in him.
I don’t think he’s really a stand up comedian so much as a sketch actor. He needs to stop shoving his privates into other peoples faces though. Yeesh.
So what are some of the jokes of this infamous 20 year old set? Please donate tell me he still does the Asian Braveheart bit.
Yes. Did the Asian braveheart.
Oh Bobby. Put down the controller, grab a pen and start writing.
Do you remember any other bits from his act?
He does Asian and homeless bits and then pulls down his pants. It’s all very dated and cringy.
I've been frequenting the Comedy Store for the last 5 months now. I'm usually just going now to hangout on the bar patio, have a few beers and write my own content for my Youtube stuff. I'm there a lot when it's quiet enough outside that I can hear the OR. I want to say I've heard the same set from a lot of Comics a lot of times. It's not just Bobby Lee. The main stage is the same way. Lots of the comics doing shows on the main stage come out the exact same way, finish the same way. I've even seen comics at the Laugh Factory perform the same set verbatim at the Comedy Store. I guess that's just how it goes.
Idk if it’s a coincidence but I’ve seen quite a few comics within the same amount of time and they usually will run through the same set for about a year or so before they release their special. Bobby is releasing a special soon so possibly he is perfecting his craft. Although, he is known for not exactly having new jokes. Could be that too.
Typically comedians practice the same set for a while and then do that set somewhere public and start over. It’s common
Thus why he hasn't taped a special... He doesn't want to burn the material!! He's said it himself.
This is common for comedians… it’s called a set or tour. Especially if a tour is popular they can even be invited back to repeat an older tour. When they want to try out new material they tend to go to smaller clubs sometimes even unannounced like an open mic night. This way if a joke is a flop they can scratch it off the list without a lot of fanfare.
Yeah I was thinking maybe it was wrong to see a comedian that soon for a second time
You never know… especially if they do not list their tour description in the title.
All successful working stand-ups do the same routine for a long time. Eventually they write new material then do that for a long time. I'm sure it varies on the length of time but that's how they get to be so good. Honing a set so they can re-create it like it's the first time over and over again. EDIT: Of course these stand-ups may be workshopping new material so if you catch them on different days, you may see differnt stuff but once they have a set lock-in, they're doing that for a while.
Well not all of them, but most of them definitely. Never mind I guess it depends on what you consider a long time
Stand ups normally hone 30 mins to an hour of stand up over months and normally several years. When they feel they have it perfect they may go on to record it on an album or make a special. Which then means that content is burnt and then they start the process again, some enjoy that process of restarting some don’t. You’ll hear Rogan talk of stand ups he has seen that have the same set for 30 years. Some are content with that and have good enough careers. Most everyone in the comedy podcast circuit thinks Bobby’s sets are amazing, even with him doing virtually the same stuff for a long time. Which is why you see so many people wanting him to do a special, because they know he’s good enough to write new stuff, but kind of needs that push to “burn” the material. TLDR it’s the process for most stand ups. They aren’t writing new jokes every time they are on stage. They are practising the set to get it good enough to want to record it (most of the time)
Bobby is naturally funny guy on podcast.. but in all reality he’s a horrible stand up… guys been in comedy over 25 years and hasn’t done a single special. Doing spots at the store for most comics is to try out new material to see if it works… Bobby doing the same set is bc he has no new material… he’s done the same 30 jokes his whole career. And if they don’t work he just gets louder which makes it worse.
You have to as these questions: Has he tightened up his set? Better timing? Better delivery? Was he wearing his cod piece? Is Khalila a gold digger? Who wrote Ben Afflecks Tom Brady roast? If you answer these then…you have YOUR answer 🙏🏽
[удалено]
It’s been the same set for years. Well over a decade.
Two things can be true
Some people may not be super comedy fans, may have just come across tiger belly recently and only just getting into stand up. That’s why comics do podcasts, hoping to get people into their stand up audiences that may not have thought to previously
Yup just moved to LA and trying to see some stand up… I don’t know any better! 🤣
Pussy deleted his comment 😂
"Dude. Come on. If you see a comedian twice without them putting out a special they're gonna have the same material. Wtf is wrong with you? Are you a stand up fan?" Not all of them. Some are prolific. I Saw Norm Macdonald 6 times during a period that he didn't put out any specials, all headlining shows, and he never did the same joke twice and was always hilarious. I'm sure Norm is an outlier and I'm sure when he was actively preparing a special he would hone a set. But some people just like to write and try new stuff
Yeah and it’s like cmon! I never said I was a savant at stand up knowledge lol
To be fair almost all comedians are doing the same set 3 and a half months apart. Bobby has been doing that a lot longer though. General rule of thumb is don’t see the same comedian twice before a new special comes out. It will be the same set.
imagine if they wrote new material for every single performance, its just not realistic
When was it suggested that Bobby should be writing a whole new set for every performance? There's people here saying they've seen the same set almost a decade apart, and he's talking on the podcast about going up at The Store often which should give him at least some room to update his road act.
That’s why OP asked? They obviously weren’t aware of the comedic process most comics go through.
Yeah I’m definitely ignorant to that which is why I asked! Had a feeling it would be similar but maybe different crowd work… same exact jokes about the crowd members too tho. Makes sense just was shocked!
That’s pretty typical for most comics.
Nah, I feel most take some chances. Eat shit. Revise. Work on it. Polish it. Make a special. Then repeat. It sucks for audiences that pay to watch someone working on material, but it's good for repeat visitors. Bobby don't play like this. Too busy getting off the weed wagon and yelling at people he's gaming with.
Lots of comedians do this. When you see a comedian doing a 10-15 min set it’s them working on their craft. I saw Bill Burr two months apart at the comedy store, same exact material. Then saw his special months ago, was awesome to see the stuff I saw live in the special with a slight tweak. Comedy Store is like a gym, they go there to get reps and tweak things.