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I like when they bring a comedian on stage, they always tell you what else they do. But fuck, this is enough, isn't it? He's here tonight performing, because that is his job! But no, it's gotta be, 'He laid bricks in Philadelphia. And he repaired a car in Oklahoma. He has an umbrella store in Philadelphia. That's the only city that comes to mind right now. Philadelphia, 'cause you can say 'Philly' and the people from Philadelphia will not get mad. Like if you say 'Frisco,' San Francisco people say, 'Fuck off!' But if you say 'Philly' they say, 'Alright!' Because I don't always have time to say 'Philadelphia.' Sometimes I just need that word to be two syllables. Phil-a-del-phi-a. Fuck, five! Your town would be called Philly too if it had five syllables!

Mitch Hedberg#82

HumorCommunicationPerformanceCitiesRelevance

About this quote

What does it mean?
Comedians often list unrelated past jobs, which is unnecessary since their current performance is enough.
In plain terms
He thinks comedians don't need to list other jobs when they are performing.
What can you take from it?
Focus on the current role instead of unnecessary resume details.

Where it applies

  • stand-up comedy
  • self-introductions
  • public speaking

Putting it to work

  • simplifying self-description

Questions to consider

  • Why do people feel the to prove their worth?
  • How much background info is too much?

Another view

Some context about Philadelphia syllables is needed for full understanding.

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