• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 8, 2022

Stand-up veteran comedians like Chris Rock have a process when it comes to their acts -- all comedians do. So while he is getting a lot of attention -- via the you-know-what swing of a hand -- this can interfere with his content, its art, and the selling of it.

How to market it better?

On the one hand, his awareness level has shot though the roof -- as well as pricing for seats for his current comedy club tour.

The problem is, in every spot along the way of his multi-city tour, he needs to adjust his material -- his act. Believe me, as the brother of a comedian who makes a chunk of his living telling jokes, this material presentation is for the most part carefully honed. And while bits of content come in and out, much can remain the same.

So now Rock needs to find a way to incorporate all this Will Smith stuff. This is part of his "processing" it point of view.

Right now he starts with the obvious -- at least in Boston. After a major standing opening night, his first words on stage since the incident were: “So.. how was your weekend!” Big laughs, of course. After a few reflective moments then tells comedy guests, plainly, he has this nice entertaining act he will be performing.

Veteran standup comedians' content is always about adjustment to a certain degree. Loud, inappropriate, drunk, or crazed audience members can be a regular thing at clubs.

But a high-profile incident on live TV -- among 15 million viewers? That's another thing entirely. Stuff like this can define TV/movie performers for a longer period of time.

Know this: Rock is also a regular TV actor, who recently appeared in a Starz spinoff "Saw" movie called "Spiral." He is also a producer.

So... what kind of demand will Rock have here in the near term? How will a TV network, movie studio, or streaming platform look to capitalize on -- or maybe avoid -- his now heightened fame?

Let’s look at this another way -- closer to home, perhaps. What TV advertising or message might be aired concerning, say, an upcoming appearance as guest host of his long-time TV home, "Saturday Night Live"?

And here's another obvious question: What about the messaging for any Will Smith upcoming movie?

If you're a TV marketing executive, you are thinking about all of this right now.