to be weirded out by db's stand up routine*

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

Watched the video clip of db's first stand up gig this weekend. I am proud of him as it takes guts to stand up in front of assorted drunk strangers and try to make them laugh... But. He has used our childhood for material and though based on truth it is exaggerated and embellished for laughs. It was so strange seeing him do that and I am now feeli ng a bit uncomfortable about it. I won't give him a hard time but if he did have success ... Anyway how should I deal with this just say nowt and be supportive?

[LittleBairn]

It's what comedian do, embelish. It was his childhood too, I'd just ask him not to mention you in his routine.

[TidyGOLDDancer]

Agree with LittleBairn. I get why it's uncomfortable for you, but these are his memories as much as yours. The most you can do, as LB says, is request that he leaves you out of any material he uses.

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

True littlebairn, I think I am being precious but it is strange never expected to be relating so personally to a comedy act!

[squeakytoy]

I suspect most comedians MILs dread their SILs routines too!

[PenguinBear]

Is it on YouTube? Can we see the video?! Help you judge

[MatureUniStudent]

My father wrote books and reading his sex scenes made me uncomfortable too. (Utterly traumatised and boaky but I am trying to be mature like my name as I respond). Whilst I could skip the sex scenes, I suspect it won't be so easy for you. And I didn't always recognise my fathers descriptions of our family so used to not take it personally as he, like your db is an "artiste"...

[MajesticWhine]

I guess all comedians use personal material. I think you just have to be supportive really. Although, there's no harm in mentioning that you found it a little weird. You could avoid watching it next time, if it really hurts you.

[deste]

We went to a comedy show last night and one of the acts was doing the same about his wife. Every second word was a swear word and he was implying that that was how his wife spoke, which I'm sure she doesn't but I kept thinking that she must have felt mortified so I know where you are coming from.

[PomBearWithAnOFRS]

I can understand how it must be weird for you - I always feel for Russel Howard's mum and I don't even know her - there's another one of those "up and coming youngster" comedians who is sometimes on the various comedy panel shows who uses his feelings about his Dad's parenting in his act that makes me very uncomfortable too.
If I feel it as a total stranger with no idea what's true and what's a complete fabrication, it must be really odd when you can actively say "ooo that's not what happened!" or "that wasn't like that" etc.
Perhaps you could ask him to let you know if he plans on using you personally in his routine, and maybe letting you hear the material before it goes public so to speak, so that if there was anything you really didn't want made public, you could tell him and discuss it? Would he listen/appreciate your point of view if you did that?

[bigmouthstrikesagain]

Thanks for your replies - Penguin - I am not sure I am ready to reveal db like this - tempting though.

I do understand artistic licence and have no problem with it in theory - but as mature/deste/Pombear attest it is the reality that is difficult for me. I think I will get used to it if he gets more gigs. I can speak to him but I have a tendency to be the patronising big sister and I really don't want to do that for this situation.

squeaky and majestic I will attend a gig if he invites me to one -and I will try to distance the act from the brother - iyswim?

It is funny for me to hear him use the phrase "true story" followed by a load of bollocks - but not the way an audience of strangers he hopes find it funny!

[longjane]

I think the thing with up and coming young comic that tell stories is they have not worked liked billy Connolly so only have stories about their family and school days .

[LiegeAndLief]

My db is also a comedian (well, sort of, he's in a "comedy rock band") and a strong theme through their last show was his amazinig discovery that David Coverdale from Whitesnake is his real dad. This is blatantly for comic effect only but it is a little weird to sit and listen to it, and must be even stranger for my parents!

Don't take it to heart. He knows it's not true, probably even the bunch of strangers listening to him will assume it's exaggerated for comic effect. Surely all comedians do this to a certain extent?

I'm not sure you should wait to be invited. I have always had to invite myself. And then ring him several times to check he has remembered to put me on the guest list.