The return of the television show BET’s Comic View continues to generate buzz, but I don’t understand why. On May 5th, Amber Bickham began requesting video submissions from her Twitter account (@AmberBICKHAM) to be considered for an audition. Most of the comics I know are not big Twitter fans, and don’t using social listening tools to discover comedy auditions. I discovered it while engaged in a Facebook group for comedy. The flyer distributed online to promote the auditions in New York City did not match what I perceived to the corporate image of BET. The flyer failed to communicate is who will be there to represent BET.
Some comics know the pain of auditioning for television shows or industry showcases. A large network might host auditions in conference centers or other large venues due to the expected volume. When the television show America’s Got Talent held auditions in D.C. in 2011, they understood the turnout would be here. Their casting agent Sarah Mahoney-Furlong targeted our local comedy clubs and members of our comedy community. She took extra steps to ensure comedians were notified about the auditions.
When auditions are held in a comedy clubs, comedians are informed about the credentials of the industry professional. Example: Jeff Singer is the festival talent coordinator for the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. When he was searching for new talent to perform at the Montreal Comedy Festival, auditions were held at the D.C. Improv, Magooby’s Joke House, and the now-defunct Riot Act Comedy Theater. Comedians were receiving exposure to a resource that can be verified in the industry.
I wasn’t the only person who realized something was odd with the announcement of Comic View. Someone created an account on Twitter (@ComicviewIsBack) to lampoon the Comic View submission process and the history of the show. Some of those tweets are simply laugh-out-loud funny:
“Of course we won’t go through 500 comedian’s footage!!!!!! We just want to make it appear as if you have a chance.”
“We don’t care if you drove 8 hours and slept on another comedian’s porch swing – If we don’t know you then you won’t get selected.”
“All comedians must be born before 1975 in order to be featured on the new season of Comicview.”
“Trust me, the drive to the auditions will be a lot more exciting than that long sad drive home knowing you didn’t get Comicview.”
“Comics send in that clean set to Comicviewshowcase@gmail.com – we won’t respond if we don’t know you.”
Why would BET use Comicviewshowcase@gmail.com as a point of contact? BET is a national corporation, and their email format is contactname@bet.net. If I didn’t notice the online conversation between TuRae (a comedian who I trust) and Gordon Baker-Bone using the #BetAuditons hashtag, I would have written these auditions off as bogus. When I contacted BET to inquire about auditions and the show, I was unsuccessful in getting my questions answered.
This leads me to believe that Comic View is starting on shaky ground. When I spoke to comedians who performed on the show previously, some offered stories about not getting paid for their television appearances. There were complaints about how badly the show was run, and the lack of support from the cast and crew. Once you made an appearance on the show, you were able to increase your rates while traveling on the road. Bringing back a show with the exact same title is only advantageous to comedians who want to illuminate the fact that they were on it.
Comedy clubs are too busy to check IMDb credits. Hearing the name Comic View and identifying it as a TV show is good enough for them. For the up-and-coming comics who wanted the opportunity to audition, you may ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?”
Keep Performing!
© 2013 Wayne Manigo
