Throughout Week 9 we looked at Comedy as a form of Immersion. Both understanding it as a narrative and how we can engage with it on both an emotional and intellectual level.  When asked to think of a comedian whom we found to be particularly engaging, Bill Hicks was the first to come into my mind. Hicks’ routines always felt fairly premeditated in nature, especially in the awareness through subversion of the crowd in the transgressive style of comedy he was so apt at performing. In the routine linked below, Hicks would play to the entirety of the crowd, then would subvert the crowd through topics of current interest. In one of the opening bits, Hicks starts chain-smoking (as per usual) then prompts the crowd “Who’s a smoker/non-smoker?” this causes a divide in which he is then able to play off. He often breaks down the 4th wall by either making comment on the internal monologue or making gestures to the crowd.

One Night Stand (1991) – Bill Hicks

The Nerdist (2009) found a myriad of Bill Hicks quotes which aid in understanding his approach to comedy and how he applies it in order to make create an engaging experience.

BILL HICKS’S PRINCIPLES OF COMEDY

1. If you can be yourself on stage nobody else can be you and you have the law of supply and demand covered.
2. The act is something you fall back on if you can’t think of anything else to say.
3. Only do what you think is funny, never just what you think they will like, even though it’s not that funny to you.
4. Never ask them is this funny – you tell them this is funny.
5. You are not married to any of this shit – if something happens, taking you off on a tangent, NEVER go back and finish a bit, just move on.
6. NEVER ask the audience “How You Doing?” People who do that can’t think of an opening line. They came to see you to tell them how they’re doing, asking that stupid question up front just digs a hole. This is The Most Common Mistake made by performers. I want to leave as soon as they say that.
7. Write what entertains you. If you can’t be funny be interesting. You haven’t lost the crowd. Have something to say and then do it in a funny way.
8. I close my eyes and walk out there and that’s where I start, Honest.
9. Listen to what you are saying, ask yourself, “Why am I saying it and is it Necessary?” (This will filter all your material and cut the unnecessary words, economy of words)
10. Play to the top of the intelligence of the room. There aren’t any bad crowds, just wrong choices.
11. Remember this is the hardest thing there is to do. If you can do this you can do anything.
12. I love my cracker roots. Get to know your family, be friends with them.

http://nerdist.com/bill-hickss-principles-of-comedy/

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