Karaoke Standup

And why not? The singer wannabes have had the spotlight hog-tied long enough. What about all those of you out there with the burning urge to get up in front of a crowd of drunks and bring the house down with your side-splitting brand of attempted humor?

Now I know what you're thinking: that won't work! Nobody wants to sit there all night watching a long line of talentless, unfunny hacks going down like a procession of lead balloons. And anyway, isn't this exactly the same thing as open mic night at the comedy club?

But that's where you're wrong. Because that's where the karaoke comes in!

Now you're really skeptical. Don't bother denying it! What possible good could it do to try to put your routine across over a backing track of some Jefferson Starship hit? How does that help? Well, it wouldn't!* And that's not how Karaoke Standup works! So QUIT INTERRUPTING.

Regular karaoke has the lyrics scrolling along the screen for the singer to read as they go, with a backing track of music and backup vocals to fill out the experience. Same thing with Karaoke Standup, only instead of lyrics and backing music you get fed lines and a hilarious laugh track!

The concept is a piece of cake. You select from a wide selection of joke "routines" (some famous, some classic, some corny, some not). The lines from the routine scroll along the prompter, and the Karaoke Technician works the "laugh track" to milk it for maximum effect! And it's so easy: just set the response level. The actual laughter is automatically keyed in on the "laugh points" of the specific routine (as it unspools on the prompter). Whoever is operating the Karaoke setup can toggle the response from uncomfortable-chuckle level all the way up to maximum killing-them-in-the-aisles riotous-gasping-cacaphony-of-side-splitting guffaw level. Who in the crowd can resist joining in, when the hilarity is booming at them from all sides?

I mean, what says "funny" like a laugh track? It must work. Sixty years of American television executives can't be wrong.

Karaoke Standup. Next big craze, you betcha.