J. Medicine Hat calls what he does hypo-comedy. It’s a mixture of hypnosis and stand-up comedy that over the last decade has kept him busy on the road playing clubs, colleges and casinos. Now J. Medicine Hat is coming back to Columbus for a set of weekend shows at The Funny Bone from Aug. 27-30.
It’s been an interesting road for the performer, who started out more than 20 years ago as a regular stand-up comedian. While his career showed promise, with appearances on “Star Search,” Showtime, HBO, MTV and VH1, he said he didn’t fully recognize his potential until a 1993 gig opening for another hypnotist. Metromix talked to the Arkansas resident about (let your eyes follow the stopwatch) his unique craft, (you’re getting sleepy), the dangers associated with hypnosis (sleeeeeeeepy!) and the makeup of his audience (zzzz!).
Let’s begin by taking us through how your average set works.
I start by doing 10 minutes of my own stand-up, explaining a little bit about hypnosis and asking for volunteers. Then I’ll do about a seven or eight-minute induction, turn the lights back on and start walking them through some bits like they’re on the beach or driving cars. We do this thing where they think they’re bodybuilders and they do all of these poses. And sometimes we do this X-rated spelling bee where they spell these dirty words and use them in a sentence. And then we close out with a song where they think they’re in a band. We’ll have them do Britney Spears or Aretha Franklin or Kid Rock. We’ll pick the right person, put them on stage and they’ll think they’re a guitar player or a drummer or a keyboard player. It just gets way out of hand. Organized chaos is the best way to describe it.
Are there any dangers or concerns associated with hypnosis that keep audience members from participating?
The biggest thing is people think they’re going to give up personal information. And that’s not how it works. They will if you phrase questions in that manner. For example, “Are you cheating on your husband?” When under hypnosis they are just so brutally honest that you’re more than likely to get a correct answer, but I don’t ask those kinds of questions. You have to steer away from those (questions), that way none of that stuff comes up.
We’re guessing there’s an element reading this article that believes your entire show is staged.
I am too busy in my day to have that much time to put it together. I think the people who come and see the show, most of them have seen multiple shows of mine and they know it’s different people every night. Most of the time it’s really hard to get volunteers out of the crowd. It’s really difficult and you might not start with as many people as you want to. Sometimes you don’t get anybody and have to start over. But when you’re in the club and watching (the hypnotized people) from start to finish, you can see them falling asleep.
Is everyone capable of being hypnotized?
I think so, but it depends on the amount of time you have. The problem is the crowd won’t sit still very long without anything happening. Plus we shut the lights off, it’s really dark and I’m doing all of the talking. You have to get through that part as fast as you can and keep the show moving.
Finally, who comes out to a J. Medicine Hat show?
I get a real mixed audience. Last night I did two shows in Richmond, Virginia, and the later show is my X-rated show with blow-up dolls, a blow-up penis. That’s when I ask someone to demonstrate their favorite sexual position. And in the crowd were people over 65 years old, and then there are people who are 21 years old. The biggest thing is the club has to do a good telling people what the show is like. You can’t surprise them when you come in there. They have to know the show is dirty.
