Apr 12, 2017

People always ask me after shows, "How did you learn how to hypnotize?"

The answer is easy. I took classes from Gil Boyne, Gerald Kein (both no longer with us), Don Spencer and the Hypnosis Motivation Institute. Then I practiced on some friends, did some "home hypnosis parties" and some shows on off nights at the local comedy club, and that's that.

The question I would like to be asked after shows is, "How did you learn to be funny?"

That's a much tougher question to answer. There is no place to learn, per se.

My theory is that you're born funny (although some people will disagree with that). Like a lot of funny people, I used "funnyness" as a way to both get into and out of situations. I was rewarded by being funny and silly. 

I also wanted to be a comedian from the first time I saw Alan King on television.

So... during the big comedy boom of the late 1980s, I got up on stage at George McKelvey's Comedy Club's open mic night. And I did a lot of open mics and bar shows to hone my act, until people started noticing.

Then I had the bright idea that it would be good to relentlessly travel the country from coast to coast to make sure that my act would fly from Connecticut to California. It did, but I though exposure would make me famous. It didn't. Maybe I should have moved to L.A. 

Anyway, if you want to know how I learned to be funny, first, I believe I was born funny. Then I was nerdy enough to have to use humor to get into or out of situations. Then I did open mics and crummy bar gigs until people started noticing.

Then... I should have moved to L.A.

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