Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, and Kevin Hart are all well-known stand-up comedians, and maybe one day Parker Theide will be just as known in the comedy world like these people are today. Stand-up comedy is when a comedian performs in front of a live audience while telling humorous stories to make the audience laugh. That is all it is, in reality. But don’t assume that makes it a simple task. New material and backup jokes are constantly needed for this humorous hobby. When senior Parker Thiede is not at school or doing homework, she is busy being a stand-up comedian and cracking jokes on stage.

Being a stand-up comedian isn’t something that many BSM students can put on their resumes. So how did Thiede pursue her interest in being a comedian? “My subculture paper was assigned in my AP Comp class by my great teacher, Mr. Faruq, and he wanted us to examine a different subculture of people, like a […] community we’re not used to [that’s] outside of our bubble that we would just really dive into the interactions between these people. I chose the subculture of stand-up comedians,” Thiede said.

Theide has grown up with an interest in other people who perform stand-up. Her family has always been interested in listening to stand-up comedy, and Thiede even ended up pursuing her own stand-up career. “I’ve always been into watching stand-up specials on Netflix, it’s something me, my brother, and my dad would do, but I never […] thought of doing it by myself. But then one day, I was just like, ‘You know what, screw it. […] I’m just gonna try it’,” Theide said.

While pursuing her interest in stand-up comedy, Theide had some hesitations related to performing in front of large crowds. However, her first guest spot at a local restaurant turned out to be successful, which boosted her confidence. “There were times when I was anxious or stressed the first time I got offered a guest spot on some sort of show or like real people. I was like, ‘Okay, well, I’m expected to do good’, but it turned out to just be like a bunch of old people that laughed at everything. So it went pretty well,” Theide said.

Many times, hobbies help students take a break from their schoolwork and other academic pressures. For Theide, this is exactly the outlet stand-up comedy gives her. She is interested in watching other people perform, researching tips, and looking up and creating new jokes. “I networked myself a little bit while I was interviewing with places I could perform at, this helped me get an idea of what it would be like performing in front of people. This process helped me work to get away from the stress from school and other things that fill a teenager’s mind,” Thiede said.