How to Tell a Joke Like Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks was a controversial and popular comedian in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He often made politically incorrect jokes about politics, religion, drugs, smoking and society. At the height of his popularity, Bill Hicks passed away on February 26, 1994, of pancreatic cancer, however, his legacy lives on as new fans are made everyday. Follow these steps to learn how to tell a joke like Bill Hicks.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Look like Bill Hicks. Part of the success of his act was due to the "bad boy" persona he embodied by cursing, dressing in all black, and smoking cigarettes onstage during his sets.

2. Embrace the Bill Hicks philosophy of comedy. Hicks believed that comedy was not simply entertaining but a learning experience as well. He believed that a joke about the truth was the best kind of joke and that the dark, unpleasant realities of the world should be exposed through comedy.

3. Tackle tough issues. To tell a joke like Bill Hicks, you can't be afraid to be politically incorrect. Tell jokes about abortion, drugs, smoking, religion, politics, pornography, and anything considered taboo. Take an unpopular, unspoken stance on these issues in order to make your audience think, as well as laugh.

4. Consider your audience to be intelligent and don't tone down your material no matter where you are performing.

5. Be passionate and expressive in your presentation. Even when you are discussing matters of a dark nature, be joyful. As Bill Hicks said, "Choose love instead of fear."