New York, NY — With each prepared joke going more poorly than the last, comedian Eddie Coker induced a motion to redefine tonight’s set as spoken word instead of stand-up comedy. Cookson made the decision when his bit about how you always meet people named ‘Christian’ but never anyone named ‘Jewish’ or ‘Muslim’ fell completely flat. “As a comedian, I play a very important role in society and in the public discourse of things,” Coker said. “With that much responsibility, sometimes you have to make the tough call and downgrade your set from comedy to spoken word. It happens to the best of us.”

Ironically, Coker’s line about how his routine went from no longer being comedic to him just talking got the biggest laugh of the night from the basement bar audience, which was comprised of three foreign visitors and a family with two young children. “I did a few old bits, and then tried two new ones, but the crowd wasn’t going for any of it,” Coker said. “As a comic, you recognize how your voice is so important and valued, so you’re thinking ‘just go out on a laugh.’ That’s when I acknowledged that my set had been reduced to a lower art form.” Walking off to a smattering of chuckles made the night all worthwhile, Coker concluded.

Max Rosenblum is a comedian and writer based out of Los Angeles. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @mrmaxrose.