Presidential race poses problems for some comics

PHOENIX — The 2012 presidential race may be a dream topic for late-night TV talk show hosts but it’s a nightmare for standup comedians, said a Valley comic.

Mark Cordes said there’s no shortage of bonehead statements from both candidates for show hosts such as Jay Leno, but those TV guys are in a controlled environment.

“With a studio audience and a guy holding up an applause sign, pretty much anything the host says is going to get a laugh,” he said.

But it’s a different ballgame onstage.

“On a Friday night, your audience is 300 to 400 people who’ve worked hard all week and they just want to have a drink and forget their problems,” said Cordes.

“You can see their eyes glaze over when you start talking politics and it’s like they’re saying, ‘Crap, if I wanted this I’d stay home and watch MSNBC or Fox News.’ You run a real risk of dividing your audience which is never good. You want to do jokes the majority of people will grasp.”

Cordes said this campaign season has posed a strange set of dynamics for comedians because ethnicity and religion are involved.

Cordes said few comedians can deliver when it comes to politics, but cable TV Daily Show host Jon Stewart nails it the best.

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