For first-time comics, they may never realize how fast three minutes could drive by until they take the chance to speak up and time themselves. I've seen musicians get cheering reactions right away in 30 seconds; that can happen for a comedian but with a stronger following. It might be easy to relate an audience with a cover song, but telling jokes about taboo subjects- like sex- doesn't always pan out in a three-minute set. I found out that strangers may click with comedian more with nostalgic memories and satirizing recent pop culture within the limited, given time.
More for what I can say about comedic timing, bits might as well go an average of three minutes before having to segue from one story to the next. If you're ever a fan of listening to comedy albums from iTunes or Amazon Prime Music, you could tell how long each track takes. Whenever I see a headlining comic deal with hecklers- usually, for talking too much or too loudly during a show- they try to keep about three minutes (give or take) at the maximum. If a comedian wants to poke fun at a particular audience member's lone reaction or cheer of a joke, the extra time of improvisation makes it worth in good taste.
Speaking of taste, people eat too fast if they finish a meal in three minutes or less. If there are pie or watermelon eating contests, I bet some of the largest families have leftover eating contests. If you have a favorite food, why rush to finish it if you're not on break at work or when you're watching a cooking show with great envy? Ice cream could be the exception unless if I'm ever in the mood for a dish melting into sugary chowder.
As of writing this article, I've been seeing the first snowfall of the year by this upcoming Halloween. The only beauty to get out of the mixes of rain and snow could be breaks of precipitation with three minutes at a time. When it's 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit, I let my car warm up for three minutes at least. My SUV may look like a box at a distance, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't be driving in an ice cube all winter long.
The more experienced comedians get the more time for at least five minutes. Some might want the extra time to introduce themselves and where they came from. Others just might want for bragging rights. Starting with Richard Pryor opening the very first show of Saturday Night Live in 1975, it should be any comedian's honor to guest host and give a monologue- just as long as they don't catch the kissing disease.
If a crocodile did stand-up comedy, it would've done its set quick and snappy. Three minutes also makes decent time for me to perform any of my comedy songs- though it's more instrumental with some sick guitar riffs. But the goal for short amounts of stage time is always timing.
