The Post Crescent
When Marc Ryan landed in his native state of Louisiana last week he could see the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl victory parade from the plane. The comedian was back home in Baton Rouge getting laughs at the club where he got his start.
This week, Ryan is the headlining comic at Appleton's Skyline Comedy Cafe. He's a regular at the club, and even recorded his comedy album, "Marc Ryan Live," at Skyline in 2008. "I had such a good show and usually have so much fun there that I was like, 'this is the next CD,' when I heard it played back," Ryan says. The things Ryan enjoys most about being home in Louisiana are activities he misses out on at his current home in Los Angeles, such as splitting firewood and helping his brother work on a camper. Like many comedians, the people and places that shaped him also became part of his routine on stage. "I've always had a lot of success talking about my family and the South," he says. "I've focused on the fact that everyone thinks we're idiots, but we're really not." Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Case in point: A character Ryan dreamed up named Steve who became an Internet sensation. Ryan says viral videos featuring Steve's riding-lawnmower DUI stops have been viewed more than 24 million times. Many failed to realize the clips on YouTube and other video-sharing Web sites were actually parodies. Steve's videos ended up on programs such as "The O'Reilly Factor," "CNN Showbiz Tonight" and "The Maury Show." People assumed it was actual dash cam video of an intoxicated redneck yelling, "I know my rights!" as a police officer takes him down using a Taser and pepper-spray. Ryan says the inspiration for Steve came from the personalities of a few different guys he knew growing up in Baton Rouge. But Ryan's initial idea came right here in the Fox Valley following a conversation he had with Skyline owner Cliff Diedrick. "I think Cliff and I had been drinking, and Cliff said 'I gotta go change the blade in my riding lawnmower,'" Ryan recalls. That's what got the gears turning in his imagination. "I just saw some catastrophe happening." The Steve videos debuted in 2005 - the same year YouTube got its start. Ryan had no idea how much his project would explode, but it has paid off. "What I think is more exciting is how the Internet is a complete game-changer," Ryan says. He believes video-sharing sites have had a big impact on the comedy industry. "You don't have to follow the rules anymore, anybody can play," he says. Skyline owner Cliff Diedrick agrees that the Internet can be a powerful form of self-promotion for stand-up comics. "You have to grab the bull by the horns and use the tools that are available to you," he says. Diedrick witnessed the impact of Internet videos through the club's partnership with Rooftop Comedy. You can find many clips shot at Skyline at www.rooftopcomedy.com. "So many people leave a comedy club and don't remember who they saw. Rooftop gives them the chance to check it out again," Diedrick says. As an entertainer, Ryan appreciates how the Internet puts the power to choose in the hands of the fans. "We've all complained that television executives aren't the best at picking what we all like," Ryan says. "People have these strong opinions, and on the Internet you can express those. The people are deciding more than the executives, or at least hopefully it will be that way in the future." Even if you can find loads of comedy online, Diedrick isn't concerned it will ever replace the experience an audience finds at a comedy club. "People can go and see a funny spoof video online, but they still have to remember that nothing beats live entertainment," Diedrick says.
This week, Ryan is the headlining comic at Appleton's Skyline Comedy Cafe. He's a regular at the club, and even recorded his comedy album, "Marc Ryan Live," at Skyline in 2008. "I had such a good show and usually have so much fun there that I was like, 'this is the next CD,' when I heard it played back," Ryan says. The things Ryan enjoys most about being home in Louisiana are activities he misses out on at his current home in Los Angeles, such as splitting firewood and helping his brother work on a camper. Like many comedians, the people and places that shaped him also became part of his routine on stage. "I've always had a lot of success talking about my family and the South," he says. "I've focused on the fact that everyone thinks we're idiots, but we're really not." Of course there are exceptions to the rule. Case in point: A character Ryan dreamed up named Steve who became an Internet sensation. Ryan says viral videos featuring Steve's riding-lawnmower DUI stops have been viewed more than 24 million times. Many failed to realize the clips on YouTube and other video-sharing Web sites were actually parodies. Steve's videos ended up on programs such as "The O'Reilly Factor," "CNN Showbiz Tonight" and "The Maury Show." People assumed it was actual dash cam video of an intoxicated redneck yelling, "I know my rights!" as a police officer takes him down using a Taser and pepper-spray. Ryan says the inspiration for Steve came from the personalities of a few different guys he knew growing up in Baton Rouge. But Ryan's initial idea came right here in the Fox Valley following a conversation he had with Skyline owner Cliff Diedrick. "I think Cliff and I had been drinking, and Cliff said 'I gotta go change the blade in my riding lawnmower,'" Ryan recalls. That's what got the gears turning in his imagination. "I just saw some catastrophe happening." The Steve videos debuted in 2005 - the same year YouTube got its start. Ryan had no idea how much his project would explode, but it has paid off. "What I think is more exciting is how the Internet is a complete game-changer," Ryan says. He believes video-sharing sites have had a big impact on the comedy industry. "You don't have to follow the rules anymore, anybody can play," he says. Skyline owner Cliff Diedrick agrees that the Internet can be a powerful form of self-promotion for stand-up comics. "You have to grab the bull by the horns and use the tools that are available to you," he says. Diedrick witnessed the impact of Internet videos through the club's partnership with Rooftop Comedy. You can find many clips shot at Skyline at www.rooftopcomedy.com. "So many people leave a comedy club and don't remember who they saw. Rooftop gives them the chance to check it out again," Diedrick says. As an entertainer, Ryan appreciates how the Internet puts the power to choose in the hands of the fans. "We've all complained that television executives aren't the best at picking what we all like," Ryan says. "People have these strong opinions, and on the Internet you can express those. The people are deciding more than the executives, or at least hopefully it will be that way in the future." Even if you can find loads of comedy online, Diedrick isn't concerned it will ever replace the experience an audience finds at a comedy club. "People can go and see a funny spoof video online, but they still have to remember that nothing beats live entertainment," Diedrick says.