TikTok helps aspiring comedians find a stage online as stand-up shutters

Shannon Fiedler was just getting her start in stand-up, and then the pandemic hit.

"I was going to clubs all the time, open mics, the whole grind," Fielder said. "And then every place in the world shut down." With comedy venues and clubs closed during the pandemic, Fiedler found a new way to share her jokes: social media. And it's a far bigger audience, too. Instead of connecting with a few dozen people in a club, the aspiring comedian started reaching millions online. One sketch, poking fun at the things a Connecticut woman might say on a first date, has garnered more than two million views on TikTok and has been shared by thousands.