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Answers by David Cross, Performer, writer & producer; w/ Bob and David, Mr. Show, Arrested Development, on Quora.
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A: I suppose somewhere in the early 90's is where the seismic shift towards, what we'll call out of laziness, the "alternative" scene, really became solidified and an accepted part of the cultural norm. The seeds were planted back in the eighties by a number of folks, Janeane Garofalo being one of the first to break through. That's not to imply it was ever calculated, which it wasn't, just that that's who she was and she was one of the first to catch on nationally. By the 90's there were hundreds of us!!!
I had a foot in both worlds as I started in Atlanta in the early 80's (I was shit) and got some road work here and there, and then moved to Boston as that scene was starting to peak and worked constantly simply because they needed bodies to fill slots. Back then, the idea of not having a tight set and bringing notes onstage and blatantly referring to them and just winging it about a personal observation or anecdote that had happened to you that day was looked on with mild curiosity at best, and outright anger at worst.
Now it's different of course. But to answer the question, it was a palpable, exciting creative time to be doing stand up with peers that pushed you and challenged you to be your best while being tough judges, but always supportive. That's, in great part, where the "Mr. Show" community came from.