While covering St. Joe’s arts and entertainment scene, I have come to realize what the general public tends to come out for and what it steers clear of. But in St. Joseph, the popularity of stand-up comedy is in some crazy kind of middle ground.

If the talent happens to be a Ron White or a Larry The Cable Guy, people “Git-R-Done” and would probably do “Fear Factor”-style stunts for tickets. But if it’s some up-and-comer slugging it out in KC comedy clubs who decides to visit St. Joe, very few people come out to show them some love.

I have found out that St. Joseph has really talented stand-up comedians that rarely get the opportunity to perform in town. Only when a regional comedian comes to St. Joe every few months does it allow the local funny dudes a chance to jump on the bill and hone their skills instead of jetting down to Kansas City for open mic nights.

So, why don’t more stand-up comedians visit St. Joe? Well, the lack of sufficient comic-friendly venues may be part of it. Most of the comedians that come end up performing in dance clubs or back rooms at bars. Or it could be the lack of attendance. A past show at the club formerly known as Mirrors featuring two KC stand-up acts was so poorly attended you could almost hear the hissing of the spotlight.

But what surprised me most was what some of these comedians were subjected to. That same Mirrors show, comedian Mike Brown not only had to deal with a baker’s dozen-sized crowd but also the drunk guy at the front table who was interrupting the comic’s jokes with his own punch lines. For the record, they weren’t good.

Then there was a show at the American Legion where a guy in the crowd asked to do his first stand-up set. The show organizers let him do it, and it was probably the most uncomfortably unfunny thing I have ever witnessed. Any laughs were simply out of pity. When headlining KC comedian Skip Clark got up and rightfully dogged him, his wife ran to the front of the stage to argue with Clark and defend her husband’s honor like a guest on the Jerry Springer show. The only thing missing was Jerry’s final thought.

The fact is that there may not be enough interest in stand-up comedy or proper venues to warrant it on a regular basis. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t potential.

The Cafe Acoustic is intimate enough for the occasional stand-up show and has hosted comics on occasion. Then, there’s the fact that Robidoux Resident Theatre is starting to take more of a stand-up emphasis. Aside from booking Ron White, Jeff Haney, business manager for RRT, says that the group has plans for booking traveling comedians regularly in the coming months at the Robidoux Landing Playhouse, which would serve as an ideal setting for visiting comedians.

If stand-up comedians on any level come to town, people should take full advantage of it. Whether it’s Ron White’s upcoming St. Joe performance selling out in a matter of hours or a movie like “Tropic Thunder” being number one at the box-office for the third week in a row, both are proof that people like to laugh. I just hope for local and regional talent, the idea of having a successful performance in St. Joe turns out to be more than a joke.