Many students know Richard Dubus as the guy who likes to crack jokes in class, but in recent years, Dubus has turned a simple hobby into a career that has landed him paid shows and a fan base on and off campus.
Dubus, a mass communication junior from New Orleans, is very involved at Nicholls as a member of the Math Club, a football manager, program director at KNSU and many other organizations. Dubus likes being involved, but balancing school and comedy is not an easy feat. Dubus said that prioritizing and procrastination go hand in hand in balancing the work load. “Me and God are in a joking war with each other,” Dubus said. “He always puts me in situations I can joke about.”
Dubus decided to pursue comedy when the organization “Rachel’s Challenge” came to his high school. “Rachel’s Challenge” is centered on “starting a chain reaction,” words spoken by Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine shooting. “Rachel’s Challenge” focuses on ending bullying and hatred in high schools. Dubus said he was so touched by Scott’s story that he heard a voice inside of him telling him to pursue his dream of being a comedian.
Dubus has performed at fundraisers for the Math Club and Nicholls’ Student Programming Association. Dubus also performs at Jazzman’s Cafe occasionally for open mic nights.
Dubus’s pre-show ritual consists of writing Scott’s name on his arm, drinking four Blue Moon beers, saying a quick prayer and, if he has time, doing four pushups so he can “look buff on stage.”
Dubus said that the formula of a comedy can be broken down into three parts: “70 percent of how you say the joke, 20 percent of the joke’s content, and 10 percent is who you are,” Dubus said.
Q: Who is your comedy role model?
A: I like a lot of comedians, but my favorite would have to be Eddie Izzard. He is pretty much my hero. I have seen all of his stand-up shows and I think that he is absolutely hilarious.
Q: What is your favorite joke of all time?
A: The joke I tell almost every set I developed about a year and a half ago, the joke is called “eavesdropping” and it’s about a conversation I overheard. I change it up every set in some way, but it is such a fun story to tell.
Q: What is your favorite thing about performing?
A: This sounds very cheesy, but my favorite thing about performing is the people. I love networking and making new friends through performing. I love the feeling of people laughing at a stupid joke that I make up. It makes me so happy.
Q: Do you bring your comedy talents to KNSU as well?
A: I actually host a radio show that won best radio talk show on KNSU for 2012-2013. The show is called The Weekly Checkup, and it airs on Mondays from 8-10 [p.m]. I get a lot of opportunity to be funny on the show and mess around with my co-hosts.
Q: Where is your favorite place to perform?
A: I really like performing at the Howling Wolf in the French Quarter. I perform there pretty often.
Q: What advice would you give someone who was just starting out in comedy?
A: Treat every show like it is a job interview. Every show that I do, paid or unpaid, is a job and an opportunity to get booked from someone that thought you were professional and good at what you do. Don’t give a bad set just because its a small crowd, or because you aren’t getting paid for it. Be professional always, and that is the key to success.
Q: What is your dream job?
A: I’d love to have a talk show like Conan O’Brian.  I think that it would be really fun to do comedy through a late night show.
Q: Have you met any famous comedians? If so, what advice did they give you?
A: I met Cocoa Brown and T Murph. They both told me that a set during a comedy show is like making a sandwich. This means the best jokes you have need to be at the beginning and in the end and the okay jokes need to be in the middle. They told me that audiences always remember the beginning and the end of a comedy set.
Q: When is your next show?
A: My next big show is October 22 at Jazzman’s from 6-7 p.m. Everyone needs to come out. It’s going to be a great show.
Q: How can people find you on social media?
A: My Facebook page is facebook.com/rmdubus or you can find me by searching “comedian Richard D” on Facebook.