Blue comedy

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Blue comedy is comedy that is off-color, risqué, indecent, profane, or obscene [1]. It often contains cursing and/or sexual imagery that shocks and offends many audiences. It is not to be confused with Blue Collar Comedy. The term comes from the music hall comedian Max Miller who kept all his adult jokes in a blue coloured notebook. ^[1]

'Working blue' refers to the act of performing this type of material. A 'blue comedian' or 'blue comic' is a comedian who usually performs blue, or is known mainly for his or her blue material. Blue comedians often find it difficult to succeed in mainstream media.

Many comedians who are normally family-friendly might choose to work blue when off-camera or in an adult-oriented environment; Bob Saget exemplifies this dichotomy. Private events at show business clubs such as the Friars Club and The Masquers often showed this blue side of otherwise cleancut comedians; a recording survives of one Masquers roast from the 1950s with Jack Benny, George Jessel, George Burns and Art Linkletter all using highly risque material and, in some cases, obscenities.

Famous blue comedians include: