We ask some of Australia’s most popular
comedians how they use Twitter, and the
#Q3. What is one of your favourite Tweets from
a comedian?
place it has in their career.
This one from @mydanimarie still makes me
laugh:
911 what's your emergency?
I FARTED ON THE FIRST DATE.
Ma'am we don't-IT SOUNDED LIKE A BALLOON ANIMAL
ASKING A QUESTION
Tom Ballard: @TomCBallard
#Q1. How important is Twitter as a way for
comedians to promote their work?
It all depends on how you use it, really. I think the
occasional plug for your shows in amongst hilarious
observations about Facebook and genitals is OK,
but you don't want to punish people every day about
Justin Hamilton: @justinhamilton_
every single gig ever, otherwise it just becomes
boring noise.
#Q1. Twitter is very important, because it allows
comedians to take back the power that publishers
#Q2. How do you feel about using your material
once wielded. In the past you were reliant on
in Tweets?
having to curry favour with editors of newspapers
and street press journalists to have any hope of
I'll very rarely take existing material and tweet it,
promoting yourself to the public. Now with social
but it often works in reverse. Because you have to
media and Twitter in particular, you can bypass the
be so economical with twitter, it can often help you
traditional methods of promotion by cutting out the
boil down jokes and polish them into sweet little
middle man and just get straight to your fans. Of
one-liners that you'll be prepared to try out onstage.
course this can work against you as people who
I interpret retweets as laughs. Over 50 of 'em is
a standing ovation.
want to have a crack also have a direct line to you –
but not only are those people few and far between,