Is Your Real Name Funny Enough?

Is Your Real Name Funny Enough?Getting a stage name is a choice most people inthe entertainment industry have to think about.As we all know, a stage name is a name an actor,musician, artist, or comedian gets and uses onstage for his or her performances. There are manydifferent reasons why people get stage names, andsome of them are even serious, like the peoplewhose parents had a little too much hash back inthe 70's when they were trying to come up withoriginal-sounding names for their kids. Still, inthe comedy industry, having an amusing andunusual name is actually an advantage.

Some of the more serious reasons for taking astage name include having the same or a similarsounding name to a famous personality. There'snothing worse than trying to get booking for yourcomedy act when your name sounds like that of afamous porn star, for example. Yeah, I guess itWOULD generate a bit of extra publicity, but isit actually worth the extra aggravation when thecrowd that turns out for your performance comesto your show expecting a different kind of\"performance?\" Naaaaah.Then there are those guys whose names arepronounced like the sound made by a cat gettingit's tail mangled in the dryer. Yes, people mightget a laugh out of your name, but will that reallycontribute to the rest of your act? You can't justgo introducing yourself every 60 seconds to keepthe audience laughing. And keep in mind thatcomedians get part of their publicity by word ofmouth. Word of mouth becomes very difficult whenthe people who found you funny have to make 10

attempts to get your name right when they'retelling their friends to see your show.Another reason for getting a stage name is if, bya cruel twist of fate, your parents had a senseof humor even more warped than yours. If that'sthe case, they might have decided to give you aname that sounds like an obscenity, like MikeHunt... If this is the case, it's a fifty fiftyif you want to take a stage name or not, dependingon whether your humor runs to the wonky. Just keepin mind that you'll have a hard time gettingbookings for gigs at places that run to \"clean\"humor if the owners think your real name is a stagename that you took on to advertise off-colorhumor.Then there are the guys whose parents chose dorkynames (Guilty! And no, I won't tell you what myreal name is!). Getting a stage name is, in myopinion, a prerequisite for you if you feel youfall into this category. Heck, getting a legal

name change sounds like an option to me, dependingon how dweeby your parent's name of choice.In any case, if you do decide to get a stage name,make sure that it's one that not only appeals toyou, but that it's one that is catchy, easy topronounce, and easy to remember. You want yourstage name to be something that people can recallat the drop of a hat, and will be able to tellothers about without having to wrack their brains.This kicks up the odds that you'll be rememberedby people. Of course, this won't help your careerat all if your act sucks anyway, in which case youcan at least move to another city and assume yourreal name again when you get laughed out of townfor bombing.On the opposite note of bombing, if we assume thatyour act is a success, getting a stage name alsohelps not just in the recognition game. Becauseyour name will sound \"cool\" (it better be, you'rethe one who picked it this time, not your folks,

bubba!) it's actually legal to have your stagename changed into your real legal name. You cannow have the name you've always wanted! Unless ofcourse your own warped sense of humor made youpick a stage name that's dweeby, obscene, orunpronouncable, in which case your applicationfor an official name change may be rejectedoutright or will, at the very least, be delayedfor several decades by people debating on whethersomething like Ihaveapurplebunghole Wannasee isa valid and legal name for another human being.