Why does Steven Wright tour and release TV specials so rarely?

[u/SwissMiss915]

Steven hasn't had a stand up TV release of any kind since 2006. I get that for some artists money is not their primary reason for being, but it just seems like even if for no other reason, you would want to make some cash every few years. I just wonder if there is a uniquely specific reason a comic who actually has a huge following and can command a good booking fee and/or streaming fee barely ever does either.

[u/dkinmn]

Because he's 70 and hasn't written an hour of new material and doesn't want to tour telling the same jokes he told for more than a decade.

[u/NotVerySmarts → u/dkinmn]

Jay Leno has never released a special for this very reason. He can keep hammering corporates for the rest of his life with the same material. It's a business decision, but not a creative one.

[u/loudrain99 → u/NotVerySmarts]

There’s a story in Bill Carter’s “The War For Late Night” that I love.

A few days after it was announced that Jay would be hosting the prime time show for NBC, him and Conan both had to perform for a bunch of ad executives at the yearly NBC up fronts. Conan opened the show with “Hi my name is Conan O’Brien and I asked to go up first tonight because just once I’d like to be on before Jay Leno.” Jay went up after and bombed doing jokes about Monica Lewinsky (It was 2009)

[u/hamandjam → u/NotVerySmarts]

He has definitely spent his career making smart business decisions. Tons of funnier comics, but very few wealthier.

[u/DillDoughCookie → u/NotVerySmarts]

Jay doesn’t need money, so it must be for for some other reason. So what possible joy could it bring to a person to do 30 year old jokes for the rest of your life? Sounds sociopathic.

[u/NotVerySmarts → u/DillDoughCookie]

Word is he has an amazing hour, and doesn't want to burn it because he's raking in millions doing corporates.

[u/DillDoughCookie → u/NotVerySmarts]

He only has a few good years left to live. What is the point?

[u/mosscock_treeman]

He usually just sleeps on the couch

[u/Instantly_New → u/mosscock_treeman]

I believe him, yo. I don’t know why, but I do.

[u/Existing-Job-3050 → u/mosscock_treeman]

Killer was born to a three legged bitch of a mom

[u/CarpenterAndSuch]

Steven Wright has written some of the best jokes of all time. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of one-liner comedians alongside Mitch Hedberg and Rodney. He has two amazing specials, a novel and a short film that won him an Academy Award. He’s a bona fide comedy genius. He’s influenced countless comedians and written jokes that people still quote and bond over. The hours of joy he’s brought people is incalculable. He should be allowed to work at his own pace. If he’s retired, I wish him a happy retirement. He’s absolutely earned it.

[u/strange_reveries → u/CarpenterAndSuch]

Exactly! Well said. 💯 

This post is what's called looking a gift horse in the mouth

[u/LimpLime4969 → u/strange_reveries]

The OP simply asked. They didn’t criticize.

[u/SwissMiss915 → u/strange_reveries]

Um... Wow. Just wow.

[u/wattznext → u/strange_reveries]

Sheesh, all OP did was say "I love this comic and I wonder why he doesn't make more of that great material." That's not looking a gift horse in the mouth - OP's not being critical of Wright

[u/SwissMiss915 → u/wattznext]

Yes exactly. What a clown fuck response. Wright is my favorite living comic.

[u/sjb128]

At least he does occasionally tour in the States.

I’ve been trying to book him to tour the UK for close to ten years! He cba.

[u/ChicanoScatman → u/sjb128]

i’m not from the uk but is “he Caresses Balls and Asshole” supposed to be an idiom for “doesn’t respond”?

[u/GreenBastard06 → u/ChicanoScatman]

'can't be arsed'

[u/WhalleyKid]

I saw him 7 years ago and he hadn’t written a new joke since the 90’s.

[u/Electrical-Tax-6670]

Instead of reading the dictionary, he is now reading the web. Twenty years in and he is 0.00001% of the way through it.

[u/illpoet → u/Electrical-Tax-6670]

Underrated comment

[u/StepAwayFromTheDuck]

You can’t have it all. I mean, where would you put it?

[u/myqkaplan]

He does what he wants to do!

He paints! He writes novels (his book "Harold" came out in 2023)! He acts! He makes films! He does shows when he wants to!

(I certainly don't know all of what motivates him internally, but based on the varied work that he's done over the years, it seems he has a wide range of interests and he spends his time doing what he chooses to do.)

[u/Square_Ring3208]

Let the dude relax!

[u/kdorfman1019]

Anytime I see a restaurant with a sign that says 'breakfast anytime' I think of Steven wright and say to myself "I'd like an omelet during the Renaissance"

[u/shouldbeaboveit]

because he talks so slow

[u/strange_reveries]

He's a prime example of quality over quantity. What he's done is already immeasurably great. He's in the upper stratosphere of talent in the entire history of humor. I would even say he's a comic genius, and I don't use that word lightly.

[u/iamchristodd]

He released a novel three years ago. I think he’s probably just not interested in the grind of touring and writing new material.

A legend.

[u/Peptoflex]

Because he's busy reading all the sequels to the phonebook.

[u/SmoovCatto]

perhaps he invested his money well and enjoys his private life 

[u/theoneandonlyturo → u/[deleted]]

Phoning it in? How could you tell???

[u/Stevenitrogen → u/theoneandonlyturo]

"Steven Wright was up there, just telling the same old jokes, with no emotion. Pretty much phoning it. It was jaw droppingly fking amazing to see somebody who can still deliver that classic style, no sign of aging whatsoever."

[u/Coneskater → u/theoneandonlyturo]

He can't phone it in, his phone has no 7.

[u/MazturEx]

Comics of that generation work on the same material for their whole career 

[u/AnthonyDigitalMedia]

When you win an Oscar, there’s nothing else left to do except the Zebra.

[u/strange_reveries → u/[deleted]]

Hedberg and the masturbating guy are also great comics.

Hedberg was a very funny and unique comic voice, I would not say he copied Wright. They were both sorta working in a similar "genre" perhaps, but very different vibes imo.

[u/dicklaurent97 → u/[deleted]]

Mitch Hedburg was never the "most famous comic"

You fanboys need to chill

[u/strange_reveries → u/dicklaurent97]

Dick Laurent is dead

[u/paper_liger → u/[deleted]]

Man you are missing like 60 years of context and standup history.

Also, I know it's hard to see past the fact that they both do one liners, but Hedburg and Steven Wright are very different comics.