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I am thankful for so so so much. It sounds cliché but I really am thankful for my health. Giving that I travel more than half of the year, it’s hard to focus on my healthy sometimes, but I make it a priority to work out no matter where I am. Sadly, however, I still eat poorly since not a lot of places with healthy options are open late, when I eat dinner, especially on the road. Next year will be tough, since I am not sure what I will be doing with my health insurance. My rates are nearly doubling so if you have any leads on super cheap insurance for a healthy middle aged former “athlete”, send em my way. I am thankful for my family and friends. So may people have supported me over the year in small ways and big ways too, from family members and friends coming to my shows in their city to fellow comedians and friends using their connections to help me with opportunities. I made some new connections with comedians I used to watch as a non comedian who found me funny and asked me to open for them. Both of my parents are alive although my father is struggling with his Parkinsons diagnosis. I am thankful I will be able to spend a lot of time with him this coming January. I am thankful for all the folks to follow me on social media and share my content. It’s so cool when strangers recognize me from my social media content. It never gets old for me. I am thankful for all the comedy clubs and producers who gave me stage time to work on my comedy. It’s nice that I can connect a few places and get an immediate response whereas just a few years ago, I would receive radio silence. Mostly, I am thankful to be pursing a career with upward mobility where hard work and talent are often rewarded. Like all jobs, there are exceptions, but overall, it’s great to see comedians who succeed. In the past year, I have seen many of my friends and peers gain well deserved success and recognition this past year and it gives me hope for my own future. I stay focused, avoid drama and work hard and hope for amazing things to happen. #comedy #careerchange #thanksful #blessed 
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Yes. Not as often as I did when I was younger, but it still happens at least once a month, mostly just pot. The funniest time it happened was when I was doing a corporate fundraiser gig and a gentlemen asked me if I smoked, and I said I smoked cigars and then he offered me a gift package of items of pot items and gummies. He was the owner of a dispensary that sponsored the event. I told him to give it to the opener, since I don’t smoke pot or take gummies. As for drinks, people always want to buy you a drink and I used to say no, but now I accept, just to help the bartender at the comedy club. I used to have a joke about experimenting with illicit drugs (rhymes with toe pain) and when I did that joke, I was offered that drug. I never accepted. The irony is that the younger me would be so mad that I am offered free drugs and alcohol (comedians get free drinks at their shows) and I almost always decline or don’t use the free drink tickets at my shows. #comedy #freedrinks #drugs #standup  100% yes. Anything that has happened to me, good or bad, can end up being part of my material. That’s the silver lining of comedy. I have had a lot of weird experiences that I will tell people and they don’t believe me. Or sometimes I forget about something that happened years ago and people remind me and I try to work it into my material. Whatever makes people laugh is fair game, especially if its me. Part of comedy is the journey and finding the funny. Whether it’s a regretful relationship or a regretful tramp stamp, it’s all material to mine for comedy . In the end, someone can either relate or can laugh about. Yes, my first tattoo was a tramp stamp and resulted in my first real joke on stage. So, there is your answer. hashtag#comedy hashtag#standup hashtag#regrets  That’s impossible to answer. Every club I perform at has benefits and helps me become a better comedian. To begin wit, Laugh Factory is my home club. It’s the first club that worked me regularly and the venue I have performed at more than any other. I feel more comfortable on that stage than at my parents' house. And every night of the week, the audiences vary so so much. Weekends at Zanies in Rosemont and Comedy Vault are pure joy and have been my favorite spots for years. The crowds in Rosemont are demographically aligned with mea and the set up the room is ideal, because you are surrounded by the audience. It was designed by comedians and you can tell. I think I have the most fun in that room. My favorite room to perform in and try new material on new material night. Comedy Vault crowds are on board for everything and the staff is always doting on comedians. Leaving a show at Comedy Vault makes you feel like a king. The Improv in Chicago and Zanies in Chicago have given me so many introductions to comedians I have befriended over the years and the staff at both are the best. A full house at either is always a blast too. While Comedy Bar in Chicago is a tougher and honest room, often with tourists and people new to a comedy show, the room has made me a better comedian, especially in Las Vegas. Before any big recording or trip to Vegas, I love hitting Comedy Bar to prepare. Winning over an audience there shows you that you are a real one. Lincoln Lodge has three stages that are all filled with open minded crowds. The rooms were designed by people who care about comedy. While I don’t work there as much as I would like to, I always appreciate the stage time I get in those rooms, especially the main show. That one is always filled and the crowds are ready to laugh. And Laughing Academy in Glenview has quickly become a second home for me with owners Kim and Jason Hiller treating me like family. Crowds are often filled with friends who I grew up with or went to school with. Always fun shows there. With so many stages, you can see why its been hard to leave Chicago for LA, right? hashtag#chicago hashtag#comedy hashtag#formerlawyer  Yes. All of them, at least when I first post them and I have time And I take it a step further. I respond to them. Obviously, the nice ones are “hearted” and I thank them, but the haters are the most fun to respond to. If they say I am not funny and don’t have a lot of time, I usually just apologize and say I will try better next time. When I have more time, however, I usually look up the commenter and make fun of them personally. And 90% of the time the haters are one of two things (a) young male haters with 1-3 followers who clearly have sadness in their lives, most likely due to rejection from women. And I call that out, of course. Cause if all they likely do is critique artists who are putting the work out there, what are they doing to better the world. Sitting in their mom’s basement and switch between going on youtube to comment, self pleasuring and playing video games is not productive. I have to ensure they know, that I know they don’t get to be mean and walk away. I hate bullies. The other haters are (b) people who have found me on other social media pages after they didn’t like something I said about the law or politics on Facebook or Instagram. They then go to other comedy clips to lazily say I am not funny. These always pop up immediately after I post something somewhat benign about the legal system that, if you are in a cult, you feel is an attack on your leader. When I go to their page, I can find that, yes they are true believers in the President and I have attacked their king and they are upset. It’s not limited to that however, I recently had a flood of comments when I posted something negative about the “rapper” Macklemore who had a pro-Palestine song and I said something positive about Israel and called him out for dressing up once as a racially profiled Orthodox Jew. My comedy clips had ridiculous comments which including allegations that I was racists against brown people. I am, of course, brown. Again, lazy. So yes, I read the comments! hashtag#comments hashtag#standup hashtag#comedy hashtag#reviews hashtag#criticism  |
AuthorPaul Farahvar is a comedian hailing from Chicago, Ill. Archives
February 2026
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