Comics say AI fails to tickle funny bone as live stand up revives
From classroom spelling to stand-up stardom, comedians explain why tomorrow’s funny bone needs more than artificial intelligence to flourish as nearly 60,000 students join the PM’s Spelling Bee.
“Bums on seats” may be the antidote to “heads in screens”, as experts and live comedy performers suggest AI and young lives lived online won’t fit the bill when it comes to developing a child’s all-important funny bone – they’re going to need live human beings and literacy skills for that.
With almost 60,000 students already registered in the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee, run by Kids News and with two weeks to go before the Years 3-8 school round closes, the ever-versatile comedian, presenter, director and author cites with pride the classroom shout-out one primary school teacher bestowed after reading his film review of ET, circa 1982.
“I still remember the feeling it gave me,” Helliar said. “That may have inspired me to construct sentences and spell as correctly as possible.”
After decades spent creating and performing stories across multiple mediums, Helliar said that “spelling is the backbone”.
“When you’re telling stories, the most important thing is your imagination … and if you can become a good speller early, it just gives you that confidence,” he said.
The author of new children’s book series Detective Galileo said that comedians with polished spelling skills can keep pace with their famously wide-ranging thoughts as they write new material.
“The more you can focus on the creative and storytelling parts (once) spelling becomes second nature, the better. I still sometimes have to think about ‘there’, ‘their’, ‘they’re’,” Helliar laughed.
As for AI, it just isn’t funny – not yet, anyway – and Helliar thinks it’s because a sense of humour “is like your fingerprint: it’s specific to you.”
“Your specific sense of humour is so entwined with who you are, it’s kind of part of your DNA. We want to know there’s a human experience behind the story,” he said.
“I did a gig last night, I’m doing another gig tonight, I’m travelling around … cities and regional places around Australia and you feel what a night of comedy does.
“There’s something about going to a comedy room and laughing. There’s a togetherness about it. I really feel it. The feedback we get … is, ‘I really needed that’.”
Leading social researcher Mark McCrindle agrees with Helliar that the future is face-to-face, despite rapidly advancing technology.
“I see it first-hand with the resurgence of the business conference and meetings market that has just come roaring back,” Mr McCrindle said. “It’s a timeless human need to gather, to connect. What’s key to that is not the person on the Zoom, but the person in the room: standing up, giving their input, sharing thoughts.
“That requires some confidence, articulation and a little bit of experience. Spelling bees are excellent training for all of that and … we’re seeing a resurgence of ‘the human’.”
Humans are masters of reinvention and a second career slaying as a breakout stand-up star can likely be traced to comedian Chris Ryan’s early childhood in India, where she lived until the age of nine.
Later graduating from ANU with Honours in English, Ryan was a journalist before answering comedy’s call, but the mum of two most vividly recalls life-defining lessons in India.
“There were children who would have loved (to go) to school (and) children who went to school … dressed immaculately in primary school, because they knew it was an honour and a privilege to get an education,” Ryan said. “It gave you a chance at life, better than what your parents had.
“So I have always been aware that to be able to read and write, and then as you get older, to be able to express yourself, is an enormous privilege.
“I’ve been able to read incredible books and poetry that have shown me what it means to express yourself and the various ways people have throughout time. There is no limit to what we can do if we only put pen to paper.”
As for other lasting lessons in the power of wordplay and people, Ryan believes there is nothing as good as a live stand-up comedy show.
“A stand-up at the top of their game, delivering live a one-hour show they have crafted and remembered – literally 10,000 words – there’s nothing like it,” she said. “Fundamentally, it all starts with those very early years.”
Run by Kids News, registrations and the school round of the Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee close at 5pm AEST on Friday 22 August. Visit spelling-bee.com.au, kidsnews.com.au
Detective Galileo, by, is out now. Chris Ryan’s solo show is on at The Comedy Store in Sydney on August 23. Visit comedystore.com.au
ABOUT THE BEE
● The Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee is a free, online competition for students in Years 3-8.
● Students compete at their school in three levels: Green level for Years 3-4, Orange level for Years 5-6 and Red level for Years 7-8.
● They get 30 randomly selected words from their competition level and have 25 seconds to type each answer. The students with the most correct words in the fastest time progress to finals.
● Teachers can register their students until August 22, when the school round ends.
● State and territory finals will be held September 1-5 and the national finals on September 10-11.
● The national champion in each age group wins a trip to Canberra to meet the Prime Minister, an iPad, HarperCollins book pack and a $1000 voucher for their school.
Details: spelling-bee.com.au, kidsnews.com.au
Originally published as Comics say AI fails to tickle funny bone as live stand up revives
