WAUSAU TEACHERS LIVE UP TO "RUDE LISTENER" STEREOTYPE

I haven't posted for quite some time for a couple of reasons, primarily - I have been spending a lot of time with my friend Doug who has gone through a lot of medical hell the last five weeks. He is home now, though, and friends are taking turns staying overnight with him this first week or two. I stayed over this past tuesday, the day he came home from the hospital.

I was unable to help out on wednesday as I had a gig in Wausau for the Wausau Teachers Union gathering at a local micro-brewery.

In my business, my mantra has always been: "Every job is an adventure". Unfortunately, I have had way too much time off, had written some new stuff, and was really pumped to drive over and do a hell of a job for them.

If you ask a teacher what kind of audience teachers are, they admit openly that they are rude. And they proved it again yesterday. I would say that after I was introduced, it was quiet for about five minutes and then audible conversations began at tables throughout the "audience".

This tends to take the fun out of performing comedy. I would say about half my audience were talking shop with one another while the other half strained to hear the show.

Consequently, laughs were subdued throughout the show, and audience participation (when asked) was nil.

And at the risk of being accused of being a sexist, the women teachers were the worst offenders.

So I did my 45, they all gave me "fleeting duck" applause - even the ones who applauded while still talking to a friend, and I made a hasty retreat.

I closed by saying: "Wanna thank those of you that listened and to all of those who talked throughout the show, I would like to say, go to hell."

The listeners applauded and the talkers didn't even know I had dispatched them.

By the time I got home I had formulated what I should have said in closing:

"I would like to thank the few who listened to my show and to the rest of you I issue a curse:
"MAY ALL OF YOUR STUDENTS TREAT YOU WITH THE SAME RESPECT THAT WAS GIVEN ME TODAY."

Fortunately, I got a call from Terry Kittson as I was leaving Wausau and he and I went to visit Suzi who is at a rehabilitation center in nearby Weston, and my trip to Wausau was saved!

Please remember Suzi in your prayers. She is in a monumental struggle.

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