Recession is a laughing matter

The recession has increased the number of people trying to make a living telling jokes.

At the Laugh Factory in Hollywood, people line up around the block for open-mike night hoping to grab a spot that pays absolutely nothing. Among them recently was Jefandi Cato, who said she was so broke that she had to move into her car. She later gets a laugh telling the audience things aren’t as bad as they could be; she’s still managing to get her hair done. “But what’s sad about that is that I have a white girl braiding my hair,” says Cato, who is black. “That’s how you know the economy is going down the drain.”

Realistically, says Steven Rosenfield of the American Comedy Institute, it takes even the most talented comedian three to four years to earn a living.

Associated Press