Comedy and drama are equally important, something the Golden Globes Awards has recognized from the start, creating separate film and TV categories for Drama and Comedy/Musical. In 2024, the Globes added the category of Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television, the first major film and television awards show to recognize the medium.

Like most art forms, stand-up and comedy are constantly shifting and those involved have learned to adapt. Jim Gaffigan began his comedy career in the 1990s. “I started prior to not only streamers, but also social media, YouTube and even satellite radio,” he notes. “The arrival of these elements transformed stand-up from a niche bar-and-club dead-end career into a vibrant live performance business which is presently probably the healthiest part of the entertainment industry.”

Comics Kountry Wayne and Zarna Garg both attribute their success largely to social media. Eleven years ago, Wayne was eyeing a career as a rapper but in his own words, he “got popular on social media, and people wanted me to start doing stand-up.” He went from posting viral skits to recently releasing his second stand-up special, “Nostalgia,”now on Amazon Prime.

“I come from a small town and if it wasn’t for social media, you wouldn’t know my name,” the Georgia native says. It also gave him an opportunity to develop and perfect his style. “Most comedians say it takes 10 years to do that, so at least I came with my voice intact.”

Part of that learning curve was learning not to curse, once he realized he played well with older crowds and kids. As a result, Wayne says he’s able to appeal to many different demographics. “I get to talk to the church and the raunchy crowd,” he says, adding of the latter, “I’m like vegan food — it tastes so good, you’re not missing it while you’re with me.”

Garg also didn’t imagine a career in comedy: After years of being a stay-at-home mother to three children, she had tried just about every kind of entrepreneurial endeavor. It was her kids who pushed her into trying stand-up. After starting at open mics, her career was on the rise —until COVID hit. “My first show at Caroline’s on Broadway was sold out, and a week after that, New York shut down,” Garg reveals. “I’m really convinced that my mother-in-law caused COVID because it’s the kind of thing she would do to ruin my life.”

But Garg found a silver lining: She began doing free shows all over New York in parks and uploading her content to social media. For Garg, the Internet was a great equalizer. “What club is like, ‘Give us your middle-aged immigrant, accented auntie who wears weird clothes,’” she says. But the public disagreed — and three specials and a bestselling book later, Garg is thriving.

Of course, comedy is risky in many ways and as times have changed, comics have had to adapt. Wayne says it helps to know that people will understand nothing he says it out of malice. Concurs Garg, “I understand people who worry about getting cancelled as you can put something out that lives forever. But I choose to take a very optimistic posture. I believe my audience fully understands me and if you make a mistake on stage, you can apologize and people will understand.”

Gaffigan has adapted and stayed relevant for around 30 years and says, “Stand-up comedy is about listening. I feel most good comedians understand that comedy, like liberty, is ever-evolving. The concept of personal liberty or irreverence in the 1920’s was very different from what we have now in the mid 2020’s.

“These changes can be incremental or dramatic but if one is listening, you can pick up trends on social norms. If you are a comedian who primarily deals in irreverence or shock these change can feel punitive and unnecessary. If you talk about being lazy and complain about your children, that is pretty evergreen. Authenticity will always remain a requirement.”