contract line item

[le pire]

I just got a contract today that had this in it:

Performer shall:

B: Provide entertainment based upon performers own original material and shall not adopt, borrow, or use in any way the material of any other entertainer.

This clause should be in every contract -- starting with Buskers Festivals!


etienne

[Evan Young]

I saw you use the cheek kiss gag at the motion fest video shoot!
kind of sucks because sometimes it's hard to know what's really fair game stock versus what Jim wrote a few years back before you were a performer.

* I agree

[Evan Young]

Originally posted by Evan Young
I saw you use the cheek kiss gag at the motion fest video shoot!

*You did change it in a clever way, and I laughed my ass off.

[jester]

What? You mean I'm not the only juggler who does the cheek kiss gag? Wow!

I seem to be the only one that doesn't do the "Here is an englishman juggling, here is an Australian Juggling, Here is an Irish/Polish/Mexican Juggling.

I agree entirely. There are some jokes which are quite simply public domain, and I think the odd gag is acceptable, but I have seen people copy entire routines from other performers.... Yeuck.

[Stephon]

So, Steve, were they upset that you couldn't accept the contract?

[le pire]

I REALLY want to same something snarky here that could get me into a lot of trouble. Must... hold... back... urge... to... be... snarky...

etienne

[Rachel Peters]

oh, common now. Nobody's going to believe that you REALLY had something snarky to say if you "hold back".
common. common common common.

(side note: I, personally, very much dislike the cheek kiss gag. But that's just me sayin'.)

[Rachel Peters]

Originally posted by Stephon
So, Steve, were they upset that you couldn't accept the contract?

Budump bump. Thank you! He's here all week! He recommends you try the veal!

[jester]

Originally posted by Rachel Peters
I, personally, very much dislike the cheek kiss gag.

So it's YOU that called the police!

[Rachel Peters]

Probably. ...I do that so often, I just can't remember anymore.

and PS: Maybe I just mostly dislike being victom to the cheek kiss gag. If other women are fine with it, it's no skin off my back.

[gav]

yeah but it's not like you can ask them first is it.
i know from experience that people will go with something at the time, but later feel not so good about it. even to the point of complaining, if they can think of someone to complain to.

[fettucinibrother]

Originally posted by jester
So it's YOU that called the police!

I know that this thread started as "contract line item", but as it has taken on this "cheek kissing gag" subject. I have to chime in with a little side note on that gag. A performer from the NC area, a former Ringling Clown College Grad, actually had sexual harassment charges bought up on him for doing that gag. Of course, he being "not the brightest bulb in the bunch", did the gag on a teenage girl with her father right there. As I did not actually witness it first hand, I do not know the exact specific details of it all. When he told me the story it seemed a little strange and a little hard to believe. However, if you knew this guy, as I do, it might make more sense. He has terrible luck, it seems. But it just goes to show you that one needs to be careful in todays litigious environment (at least in the US, anyway). If you're gonne do that gag, choose your victim carefully. Not sure how it all played out in the end. But I know that he stopped performing as a result of it.
Alfredo Fettucini

[Rachel Peters]

The thing about being a volunteer for something like that is that if I don't do it -- if I don't play along (to whatever the joke is), I come out looking like the jerk. So, of course I'm going to go along with it, right? Just makes a person resentful in the end. The joke itself is funny enough to watch (if you happen to have never seen it before), but the volunteer has no choice but to play along or they've spoiled everyone else's fun.
I have had it attempted on me and luckily there wasn't really a crowd, because I politely whispered to him, "I know that one." and I walked away. ...But I know I looked like a stuck-up spoil sport for having done that.
I get a little tense and anxious when I see an unknown performer with child volunteers for that reason. The parent and the child have put a lot of trust in that performer, and a child -especially- is bound to go along with a gag that a popular adult has told him to go along with, with Mom and Dad and an entire crowd looking on, smiling.
There's one act I've seen too many times which involves child volunteers and it makes me pretty angry. I can't watch this dude perform anymore, because it's a staple part of his act. ...And I don't think any kid would come out of it feeling too great about it. I'll avoid naming names. Nice guy, but I feel he breaks that parent/performer trust.
There's just a lot of responsibility on you people. Always be conscious of that!!

[jester]

At my old school (Larkhill) the teacher I did the cheek kiss gag on was mortified. I felt very very bad for her, and while her colleagues claim she was a prude, I feel I violated her trust. That said many people have refused to kiss me and I think that is funnier and it makes the girl look really cool as long as I react in the correct way.

I now use a completely different gag that involves a kiss, but in this one the victim sees it coming and I have a get out if I sense any kind of reluctance at all.

I think with Sars, Bird Flu and Herpes, the cheek kiss gag belongs on this forum and not in our act.

[pixiejester]

Originally posted by jester
the cheek kiss gag belongs on this forum and not in our act.

I agree with that, like what Rachel said, I do not like it either.