5 Reasons to Take the Con Out of Contests
Life on Earth is extremely competitive. Each day, we compete for parking places. We compete for jobs. We compete with our siblings. We compete for winning lotto tickets and congressional contests. We also compete against ourselves.
We’re constantly trying to get ahead by running against the wind. We vote people off islands and talent show stages. In the movies, the leading character entertains us while he tries to win the girl.
But sometimes competing isn’t all that fun. Often, we judge the day - and ourselves - based on the outcome of the daily challenge. Victory is cause for celebration. If you walk away feeling like a loser, that energy can ruin days, months and lives. Defeat deflates the ego.
The good news is the Vintage Vixen is here to help. She is here to remind you that life is not a contest – except for competing to find a choice parking spot in Los Angeles. But life can be challenging and testing. It’s supposed to be. It’s also supposed to be fun.
I believe we’re on Earth to learn love, toleration and how to have fun. You don’t have to compete to be the best. You already are. But don’t take my word for it. Read what Dr. Seuss wrote.
“Today you are You that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You!” he wrote.
One thing that cannot be judged is comedy. It’s subjective based on audience perspective and the comedian’s viewpoint. But some comedy clubs host contests because they generate revenue on a slow night.
When I arrived in Los Angeles in 2008, the trend involved bringer room shows. To be booked for those shows, the comedian had to guarantee she would bring five paying customers. Club owners preferred it if comedians brought people who didn’t mind spending their rent money so they could get liquored up. As a conduit to liquor sales, talent was optional. If the performer was funny, people were happy, but the compensation was still zilch.
Another phenomenon I have experienced involves comedy contests. The main job of the contestant is to pay an entry free and get butts in the seats. The job of the spectators is to quench their thirst with adult beverages and to laugh no matter what type of amateur acts they must endure. The only other requirement is for the customers to stay sober enough to remember their friend’s name, so they can jot it on a ballot to determine the contest winner. Sometimes, the winner gets a cash prize.
I’m not saying the contests are rigged. I’m just suggesting that Donald Trump’s election complaints were a joke compared to ballot casting practices in comedy contests. Still, they serve a valid purpose. None-the-less, here are five reasons to take the con out of contests to make them worth your time if you decide to deliver punchlines while your family, foes and friends guzzle the punch. For that matter, these tips apply to any contest you might consider entering. I’m just using comedy as an example.
1. Never enter a comedy contest – or any contest – if your ego is fragile.
This just results in self-judgment as you compare yourself to others. You might begin believing the guy who supposedly wins is worthy of winning although his jokes are non-rememberable. You could entertain doubt and question if your material is lousy or if you need to legally change your surname to Loser. Such a mindset makes it difficult to remember the outcome of this election has nothing to do with you, your talent or the quality of the comedy. The winner simply knows more people with drinking problems. The imposter you bring along doesn’t buy booze. He just whispers not-so-sweet insults in your ears.
2. Stop conning yourself by comparing yourself to others.
If you believe winning or losing a comedy contest defines the quality of your talent, you are conning yourself. It doesn’t matter what the contests are about. They still provide great opportunities to prove you are a winner – no matter what. Take away the con, and you are presented with tests that help you assess your strengths and weaknesses. Use them to propel you to your next level.
3. Keep your friends close and your drunk uncles closer.
Remember there is no way to lose when you know your worth. Still contests can crush dreams. They also can smash fenders if you allow your drunk uncles to drive home. If your friends can’t make it to the show, don’t take it personally. Most contests are in the middle of the week on a slow night at comedy clubs. Scores of people don’t go out during the work week. Hangovers suck.
4. You don’t have to patronize a place that doesn’t value you unless you’re there because you’re thirsty.
If you’re thirsty, just stay home. It’s safer. But if contest producers and club owners are rude – and many can be – remember it’s not about you. It’s OK to wish them well and go on your way. They’ll find someone to take your stage time next week. But, if you are passionate about comedy or whatever the contest features, you will find a way to use that passion to make the world better one laugh or step at a time. That may or may not include selling booze.
5. The only way you can lose with laughter is if you fail to engage in it.
If you spend at least 20 minutes laughing, endorphins are released, blood pressure lowers and pain is reduced. Focus on the real commodity – you. Stop making it about a competition. Just view it as fun.