Gerard's Blog - Musings, Thoughts and Commentary Page 3

Why are so many comedians rude, mean or offensive? I’m not talking about touching on mildly uncomfortable topics, but rather the all too common practise of being rude or demeaning to one group or another.

The reason is simple and is has to do with two things, skill and fear.

To write a lot of good clean material that is super funny is hard work. It takes genuine skill and considerable effort. Whereas the cheap shots and offensive words are comparatively easy. Sometimes people cover their discomfort and embarrassmewnt with a laugh.

You’ve got a great fundraiser. People are going to have an absolute blast. But they don’t seem to be buying your tickets.

Here are some of the reasons why that could be.

1. You’re Relying On Social Media

Social media is great. You can sit at home and post stuff online. Done right you can get lots of people to click on, or to like what you post online.

You can really get the idea that you’re going to have a sellout night.

How do those shows work? A hypnotist gets a whole bunch of people on stage, and before you know it they’re doing silly things at the suggestion of the hypnotist. What is going on and how does that happen? Why does stage hypnosis work?

Summary (or TL;DR)

The hypnotist will find within any group those who are most readily hypnotisable on that occasion. Depending on her skill the hypnotist might require a large group to start with to improve their chances.

Are hypnotist shows real? Are they fake? Do stage hypnotists really hypnotise people from the crowd? Is it set up in advance somehow?

I’m often asked these questions. Along with “Can everyone be hypnotised?”.

When you see 16 people on stage all being silly under the “control” of the hypnotist - what is going on?

Either:

1. They’re paid actors,
2. They’re just faking it for the fun of it (unpaid), or
3. They’re really hypnotised.

Let look at these possibilities.

If they’re paid actors, how much do they need to be paid? To do the show and to never talk about it again? $50 perhaps? That’s not much. $200? What would you do it for and never tell? Let’s go with $100 - and 16 people on stage - that’s $1600. Plus all the organising beforehand to get them there (how would you do that?). A lot of money and effort, and show business just doesn’t pay well - you can check.

Techniques that embody what we now call [hypnotism][1] have been around for centuries, appearing in various forms in spiritual and religious rites and alternative medical practice.

While we look back at the activities of these practitioners and judge them as quacks, much of what they did was normal practice for their times, when the practice of medicine was also ad hoc, unscientific and steeped in mythology and strange beliefs.

One of the strangest beliefs that came out of early hypnosis was the concept of animal magnetism. This term still arises today in description of a person who has seemingly super strong innate attractiveness (usually to members of the opposite sex). However originally it was used by practitioners of mesmerism or hypnosis as we now call it.

It turns out that Powerpoint really can kill!

This surprised me because it is so unlikely and in present times seems so dumb. But it is apparently true that only a few hundred years ago some people believed that a species of goose (the Barnacle Goose) grew on trees. Seriously! How anyone could believe that is beyond me.

Moreover the lifecycle was thought to be partly aquatic and, wait for it, the barnacle goose gave its name to barnacles, not the other way around.

If you leave it to the last minute to book your work end-of-year or Christmas entertainment you are likely to miss out. Venues, entertainers and everyone will be busy or already booked, so book early! We do hilarious end-of-year parties, and can supply a full entertainment package. Attractively priced and no-sleaze, guaranteed!

The only people who cannot be hypnotised at all are those with substantial neurological defects or impairment, but some people take a while to learn to go into a trance for the first time. It is always surprising to the volunteers and the audience how easily they find themselves being hypnotised. On the night, most people who volunteer will be hypnotised provided they follow the hypnotist’s instructions.