Why do stand-up? Ask comedian Frank Vignola

February 23, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Comedian Frank Vignola is every bit of a funnyman as he is a comedy professor. He’s not arrogant, just confident in what he sees happening to his profession.

A stand-up veteran for more than 20 years, Vignola, who has played Youngstown clubs since the ’90s, is working on a documentary film detailing how the world of comedy has been affected — good and bad — by numerous outside forces. The subjects of “Why Stand-up?” are actually students of Vignola, who teaches stand-up-comedy classes at a Manhattan club.

“I’m not really talking that much about my own career — I’m talking about my students and their point of view,” Vignola said. “It’s also against the backdrop of how much reality television has changed the landscape when it comes to stand-up. I’m talking more about the thing that’s been going on for the last 10 to 15 years where we’ve gotten into being famous just for being famous.”

In Vignola’s mind, the Paris Hiltons and Kim Kardashians of the world have changed the media dynamic where networks are bypassing sitcoms, which for the past half-century have been an outlet for rising comedians to spread their creative wings. Another variable Vignola explores in “Why Stand-up?,” which currently doesn’t have a release date, is the power of Internet content (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in regard to a comic’s image.

When Vignola, who is influenced by George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and Bill Hicks, isn’t working on his documentary or teaching comic hopefuls, the veteran can be found touring his one-man show “God and Science.” The set finds the comedian offering a funny and vulnerable take on reconciling history and religion with personal loss. He also has a straight stand-up show that he said talks about everything under the sun including political, family and observational material.

Admittedly at risk of sucking up to Youngstown audiences, that’s exactly what Vignola does when discussing his excitement about bringing his normal stand-up set to town for Friday and Saturday shows at the Funny Farm’s two locations.

“I think Youngstown is perfect, and I don’t want to say something that in print is going to look stupid, but they’re a smart, blue-collar crowd,” Vignola said. “It’s very down to earth, very friendly, very likeable, but they’re smart. They get what you’re talking about. And the combination of the two I enjoy very much as a comic.”

Vignola promises he’ll bring a certain type of show to the Youngstown area.

“It’s not dirty,” Vignola said. “I don’t think you have to be dirty to be funny. It’s very difficult to describe. It’s as if you were having a really good time at a bar or wedding or a party with a friend who is just making you laugh so hard you can’t catch your breath.”