Judd Apatow

Like someone was saying, I always forget if it was Jon Stewart or Jon Stewart quoting Norm Macdonald, that you have to lean into the bomb constantly.

Like, you just, you're not, like, resisting it.

Like, when Norm Macdonald would have a joke that didn't work on Weekend Update, he would just slow down.

It's like Andy Kaufman, you know?

Some people, like, they get a kick out of the tension of it not working.

And I think Norm Macdonald said that his relationship was not with the audience.

His relationship was with the joke, that he loved the joke so much.

And if you don't laugh, he doesn't care.

Like, oh, they didn't laugh.

But he's getting a kick out of the joke.

Right.

Where...

When I'm on stage, I'm very aware if they're not laughing.

I can get in that place, but I'd have to really focus because I don't like when they don't laugh.

I'm still sensitive to it.

But it is a good idea to start with new things because then you can just leap out and get in the real thing.

But it is an art of how you weave new thoughts.

And it does make sense to go, I'm just going to start with it and then suddenly I'll bail, they won't know, and then the thing will lift off.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But it's really about if the audience thinks you're nervous.