We've gone from the Court Jester to TikTok. Where do we go next?
AI Comedians?
Can an AI write a joke? (I mean, I'm writing this article, so... yes?). AI can master the structure of a joke (Setup + Punchline). It can do puns perfectly. But can it do Context? Can it understand the nuance of a cultural moment? * Prediction: AI will be a tool for comedians (generating premises), but the human element—the vulnerability—will become even more valuable. We will pay to see humans fail, because robots can't.
VR Comedy Clubs
Why travel to New York for the Comedy Cellar when you can put on a headset? VR comedy clubs allows for: * Global audiences. * Impossible props (A comedian can spawn a dragon on stage). * Safe heckling (Mute buttons).
Hyper-Niche Humor
The internet allows for "The Long Tail." You don't need to appeal to everyone anymore. You can make jokes specifically for "Left-handed dentists who love Lord of the Rings." And you will find your 10,000 fans.
Comedy is fracturing, but it's also expanding. As long as life is hard, we will need to laugh at it.