Stand-up comedy is still a niche type of entertainment in Poland. Polish
audience, used to low-brow cabaret programmes shot repeatedly on TV, would
probably find it as a challenge to embrace as demanding performance as stand-up
is. Despite this, stand-up turns out to thrive in Poland, although you should
not expect to watch it on TV or hear about it in commercial radio. Fans of this
comic style will nonetheless find it easy and inexpensive to buy tickets for
live performances of stand-up comedians…
I have learnt it all since for some reason I did a research on stand-up
in Poland. While doing this self-assigned task, I also decided to find out who
the most prominent stand-up comedians in Poland are…
Uncle Google always helps in such instances and the search engine did
the job without reproach. Only my jaw dropped open at the sight of outcomes. I
kept opening each next search result and my mouth refused to shut…
Recall the Short story about the price of trust? I have totally put the
hapless loan out of my mind and with hindsight had to read over all my postings
labelled lent 1,000 to refresh my memories of how I had been duped by my
middle-school classmate. Karol, as it turns out, is one of the up-and-coming
stand-up comedians in Poland. Back when we were in our teens he exhibited
inclination and talent for stage career. His first performances available on
youtube are from 2011 when he would show off his skills during open mic
sessions. At that time, according to blog records (keeping some stuff for
posterity now pays off) he underwent gambling rehab therapy and did his
sentence for unpaid debts. As the (alleged?) sentence was suspended and partly
swapped for public works, one does not conflict with the other. Internet contains
some evidence of his 2012 performances, but his stand-up career began to speed
up in 2014. These days probably everyone familiar with stand-up in Poland knows
his (real) name. He is not one of most famous comics, however critics and more
experienced fellow stand-up comedians claim he is one the most promising young
artists, has his unique, individual style and huge potential to grow into an
outstanding stand-up comedian. Nothing more about, since I still do not want to
reveal his identity.
The reading also reminded me Karol had borrowed money, much more money,
from our fellow classmate, Marek. Without further ado I logged on to fejsbuk to
find Marek is online and I started off a chat. Marek’s jaw probably also
dropped open at the news of our ex-friend being a rising star of stand-up
comedy. Sadly, Marek did not recover full 8,000 PLN he had lent. Having been
paid off 6,000 PLN and having wrangled too much to get back the remainder (it
would require taking the case to the court, as some of Karol’s creditors did),
he had given it a rest. Interestingly, Marek knew a bit more about Karol’s
tribulations than I did. Up to that moment, I had only been stunned, from that
moment I was incensed. I could get over he had deceived me and many of his
other former friends, but I cannot get over Karol turning his back on his
family who got financially and emotionally ruined getting him out of troubles
several times, despite this being none of my businesses, I feel damn sorry for
Karol’s parents and brother.
I do not wish badly on anyone, including Karol. As Marek rightly said,
maybe it is better he pursues his career as comedian than if he was to engage
in massive scams as a lawyer (he had been expelled from the Faculty of Law for
embezzlement of money from the student union’s account). But if once he rises
to stardom and I happen to see him on TV, I will look at him with disdain and
contempt. A man of honour might stumble and fall, but once a man of honour
mends his ways, he makes up for the wrong he did. Karol, as the Internet shows,
has got up of his knees, but does not think about apologising to his
primary-school friends, middle-school friends, high-school friends and
university friends (all of whom he still owes money). He will remain in their
bad books so maybe his efforts to fix once broken friendships should be spared.
Yet, first and foremost he should beg his family for forgiveness. Based on what
I know, he has cut off, they renounced him and therefore even if for many he
will be a celebrity, for me he will remain a liar and a thief.
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