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Comedy Central Stand-Up Presents

Joe Zimmerman

Comedy Central · 2014 · 30 min

A calm, off-kilter set covering hypochondria and historical presidential duels.

Joe Zimmerman operates with a wide-eyed, gentle delivery that quietly masks a deeply weird perspective. He uses his stage time to walk the crowd through the specific mechanics of his own hypochondria and the strange economics of selling out a free show. His pitch for a Hollywood blockbuster based strictly on Andrew Jackson’s prolific dueling habit highlights a knack for taking historical absurdities and translating them through a calm, deliberate drawl.

Filmed at the Royale in Boston in March 2014, the 20-minute set caught Zimmerman during a rapid career ascent. He had recently relocated to New York, dropped his charting debut album “Smiling at Wolves,” and secured a spot on the eighth season of the reality competition “Last Comic Standing”.

The set list

3 bits
  1. Selling out free shows

    Zimmerman reflects on the absurdity and dynamics of performing and 'selling out' free comedy events.

  2. Battles with hypochondria

    Exploration of his personal struggles with health anxiety and hypochondria.

  3. President Andrew Jackson's prolific dueling career

    Historical analysis and humorous breakdown of forgotten details regarding Andrew Jackson's dueling exploits.

How it plays

Tone
Playful, absurd, and intellectual.
On stage
Self-proclaimed 'ambassador of joy' characterized by a playful persona and inventive, smart writing combining absurdities with intellectual humor.
Pace
Calm vocalization, laid-back stage presence, and measured delivery.
About
hypochondria, free stand-up shows, American history

Backstory

Season 3 episode (3x14) of Comedy Central's half-hour showcase series highlighting emerging stand-up talent.

Details

Released
Runtime
30 min
Where
Comedy Central
Topics
After
Captain Snuggle Pants (2019)

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