Dianna Graham
Out on the club circuit, a well-timed F-bomb really packs a punch. Deciding to steer clear of the four-letter gang and vulgarity of any kind is a bit like playing pro Ping-Pong with one hand tied behind your back – it just takes that much more skill to stay on top of your game.
Enter Canadian comedian Gerry Dee, whose roots as a high school teacher and hockey coach in the early days of his career made anything crass seem like the wrong fit. ‘I was a role model,” he says. “I just always kept my family and students in mind.”
The clips on his website (www.gerrydee.com) prove you can be clean and funny no matter what the topic – ladies’ night, special ed… With the right angle, it’s all fair game as long as it’s above the belt.
In addition to comedy, Dee speaks at teaching conferences and is developing a humorous motivational seminar for high school kids.
“Everybody told me when I started, ‘You’re too old to start stand-up at 30.’ I played hockey in college and heard, ‘You’re too small, you’ll never make the team,'” says Dee. “I want to start telling kids about chasing your dreams.”
This mindset will stand him in good stead as he works his way towards number one on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Vote online at (www.nbc.com/Last_Comic_Standing) from June 13 to 20 and make sure your favourite comedians move on to the show’s finals. Also, keep an eye out
for Dee as Donny the prison guard in this summer’s Trailer Park Boys movie. Catch Dee at Yuk Yuk’s this week from June 8 to 10 – book a table at 236-5233.
With bowling, your score hinges on your skill. On a good day, it’s strikes all the way; on others, it’s spare, split, rinse, repeat. When it comes to hypnotism, however, there are always a few pins that just won’t co-operate.
“Five per cent of the general population is extremely susceptible [to hypnotism],” says comedian and hypnotist Damian (www.damianthehypnotist.com). “After that it’s a matter of self-selection. People who come out to the show are probably a bit more willing to believe, or willing to be hypnotized.”
Smart cookies beware: That ability to focus in school or at work means you are a good candidate, even if you don’t mean to be.
“I can tell which people in the audience have gotten hypnotized,” says Damian, “and sure enough, I’ll go out into the audience and get them and bring them up there.”
No need to worry you’ll miss out on all the fun if you fall under his spell – he makes sure that participants remember all 90 minutes of on-stage detail, from falling in love with your chair, to getting stoned on an imaginary joint.
“With a regular comedian, you’re watching one guy be funny for an hour. With hypnotism, it’s like having six to 12 comedians on stage, but they’re all comedians that you know personally.”
Though a native of Ottawa, this is Damian’s last show in town for a while – he’s aiming for a full-time Vegas gig by next summer. Catch him at Absolute Comedy from June 7 to 11 (233-8000 for reservations).