We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ben Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ben below.

Ben, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Between 2019 and March 2020 (can you guess why it ended?) I produced a sketch show called the 60-Second Talk Show. It was a parody of Late Night/Morning Talk Shows/News Shows condensed into a minute and released on social media. I came up with the idea right as I moved to LA and started doing stand-up, and I was watching a lot of interviews with my favorite comedians to try and learn about their trajectory and process. And after watching so many of them, I needed to find a way to make fun of them. I then mentioned casually to a couple of friends at work, they said ‘let’s do it’ and we made about 50 sketches. It was so meaningful to me because it was my first working on a “set” (my friend’s studio apartment) with competent creatives and not just friends who I begged to be in my videos. But it was also a huge learning experience as I was writing, directing, producing, booking, and starring in every single sketch. It was a lot of work and really taught me how to delegate, problem solve, and find the funny fast since… you know… I only gave myself 60 seconds. But my next project is also based on parodying TV and so much of what I learned doing the 60-Second Talk Show I’ve applied to this next thing. So maybe I’m only, like, half an idiot.

Ben, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a comedian. Although I’m primarily a stand-up but when I’m not on stage I also direct/write/produce/edit everything from funny cooking shows to sketches. If there are giggles, I try to be involved. I’ve always been obsessed with comedy and I’m pretty sure I’ve been trying to make people laugh since before I could read. Although I made funny shorts and Youtube videos as a kid, I didn’t really start pursuing comedy until I graduated college in 2018. I came to LA to get into the industry on the business side, but after trying stand-up for the first time, I was hooked and I’m pretty sure I’m never going to recover. And as proud as I am of how I’ve progressed as a stand-up and a writer, frankly I’m proudest of the fact I haven’t gone insane! I stay really busy between all the hats I wear creatively, and that’s on top of working full-time in a demanding field so the fact I haven’t had a major emotional breakdown is a real miracle.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

When you start in comedy, you do comedy mostly for other comedians. And when you start comedy, you’re not good at it. And you bomb a lot. So in order to stop bombing, you have to entertain comedians. But the reality is — and I mean this in the nicest way possible — comedians aren’t real people. So when you go from entertaining comedians laugh to entertaining real people, there’s oftentimes a huge gap in what works. And I got caught in the trap of trying to please the comedians in the audience, which took my attention away from trying to please real people in real audiences. All this to say – I had to unlearn who comedy was for: comedy audiences, not comedians.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being recognized for your ability and your ability alone. In entertainment, like so many other things, who you know is a huge catalyst in progressing. So often people book things based on being ‘a good hang’ or sucking up to the right people. And I’m not saying that’s a bad thing or that you shouldn’t do that. Being a likeable person goes a long way and building a network is incredibly important. But when you book a show or get asked to do something not because you asked but because someone recognized you as good, there’s no better feeling in my opinion. When you get rewarded for the ability you’ve been breaking your back to hone… what’s better than that?!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjamintthompson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benthompsoncomedy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@benthompsoncomedy
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@goodcookingshow https://www.instagram.com/goodcookingshow/