A shtick ( yi, שטיק) is a comic theme or
gimmick. The word entered the English language from the
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
''shtik'' (שטיק), in turn derived from
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
''Stück'' and
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
''sztuka'' (both ultimately from
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic (abbreviated PGmc; also called Common Germanic) is the reconstructed proto-language of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages.
Proto-Germanic eventually developed from pre-Proto-Germanic into three Germanic branc ...
*''stukkiją''), all meaning "piece", "thing" or "theatre play"; note that "Theaterstück" is the German
word for
play
Play most commonly refers to:
* Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment
* Play (theatre), a work of drama
Play may refer also to:
Computers and technology
* Google Play, a digital content service
* Play Framework, a Java framework
* Pla ...
(and is a synonym of "Schauspiel", literally "viewing play"
in contrast to the "Singspiel").
The English word "piece" is sometimes used in a similar context (for example, a musical piece).
In stand-up comedy context a near equivalent term is a "bit". Another variant is "bits of business" or just "bits". ''Shtick'' may refer to an adopted persona, usually for comedy performances, that is maintained consistently (though not necessarily exclusively) across the performer's career. In this usage, the recurring personalities adopted by
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were a British-American Double act, comedy duo act during the early Classical Hollywood cinema, Classical Hollywood era of American cinema, consisting of Englishman Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and American Oliver Hardy (1892–19 ...
through all of their many comedy films (although they often played characters with different names and occupations) would qualify as their shtick. A comedian might maintain several different shticks of this sort, particularly if appearing in a variety show encouraging development of multiple characters, such as ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''.
In common usage, the word ''shtick'' has also come to mean any talent, style, habit, or other eccentricity for which a person is particularly well-known, even if not intended for comedic purposes. For example, a person who is known locally for an ability to eat dozens of hot dogs quickly might say that it was his shtick. Among
Orthodox Jews
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Jewish theology, Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Or ...
, "shtick" can also refer to
wedding shtick, in which wedding guests entertain the bride and groom through dancing, costumes, juggling, and silliness.
Many fictional characters have more thematic shticks. This is particularly true of comic book villains, who are almost always seen wearing a particular costume and behaving in ways that are consistent with a bizarre and psychotic obsession. The supervillains of ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...
'' (collectively known as the Rogues Gallery) are especially notorious for this (
see below). There are also many professional wrestlers who deliver memorable catchphrases, and/or enter arenas performing signature gestures to the tune of thematically appropriate songs, causing crowds to laugh and cheer (
see below).
Because of its roots in show business, ''shtick'' has taken on the connotation of a contrived and often used act. For this reason, journalists and commentators often apply the word disparagingly to stock replies from politicians.
Notable examples
*
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...
created one of the earliest of modern comedy shticks: bowler hat, toothbrush mustache, bamboo cane, baggy pants, floppy shoes, and a waddling walk.
*
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent film work, in which his trademark was physical comedy accompanied by a stoic, deadpan expression ...
sported a robotic, never-changing facial expression.
*
Harold Lloyd
Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55.
One of the most influential film co ...
wore thick glasses and a boater hat.
*
Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau (; born Marcel Mangel; 22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) was a French actor and mime artist most famous for his stage persona, "Bip the Clown". He referred to mime as the "art of silence", and he performed professionally worldw ...
, the archetypal mime artist, was famous for "Bip": a white-faced clown in a top hat and sailor suit. His act included pretending to walk against a stiff wind and behaving as if he were enclosed by walls.
*
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golden ...
's shtick included imitating a baby's cry and wrinkling up her face. More elaborate routines included getting drunk while advertising a vitamin syrup and gobbling chocolates while working on the assembly line at a candy factory.
*
Jack Benny
Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...
's character on his radio program was notoriously both stingy and a bad violin player, as well as being perpetually 39 years old. In real life, Benny was known as a competent
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
ist and lavish tipper, and kept celebrating his 39th birthday each year publicly because "there's nothing funny about 40".
*
Bill Cosby
William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
became famous for delivering satirical monologues (often about his humble upbringing) and complaining about the younger generation in an exasperated drawl.
*Three of the
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...
,
Groucho,
Chico and
Harpo, had well-honed shticks by the time they started making movies.
**Groucho, with his stooped walk, greasepaint moustache,
lascivious
Lascivious behavior is sexual behavior or conduct that is considered crude and offensive, or contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. In this sense "lascivious" is similar in meaning to "lewd", "indecent", "lecherous", ...
eyebrow raising, and his cigar;
**Chico, with his fake
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
accent, his "shooting the keys" style of piano playing, and borderline moronic behavior; and
**Harpo, with his
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking ...
routines, the seemingly bottomless pockets of his
trench coat
A trench coat or trenchcoat is a variety of coat made of waterproof heavy-duty fabric, originally developed for British Army officers before the First World War, and becoming popular while used in the trenches.
Originally made from gabardine, ...
, and his ability to play the
harp
The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orche ...
.
** The fourth performing brother,
Zeppo, never developed a shtick and was a straight man in their movies — though some have argued that blandness and "normality" was indeed his shtick.
*
W.C. Fields
WC or wc may refer to:
* Water closet or flush toilet
Arts and entertainment
* ''W.C.'' (film), an Irish feature film
* WC (band), a Polish punk rock band
* WC (rapper), a rapper from Los Angeles, California
* Westside Connection, former ...
nurtured a character that was not far from himself in real life, being misanthropic, misogynistic, and a hard drinker, as well as the unique bellow of his voice and his famous bulbous nose.
*Many of the performers over the course of ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
s long broadcast history have developed shticks that were popular enough to be developed into feature films. The earliest of these was ''
The Blues Brothers
The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respective ...
'', the dark-suited alter egos of
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
and
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi (January 24, 1949 – March 5, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known for being one of the seven original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL''). Throughout his ca ...
, which spawned two movies and several actual blues albums. Of the movies that followed in later years, some met with similar success (such as
Mike Myers
Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollyw ...
' ''
Wayne's World
"Wayne's World" was originally a recurring sketch from the NBC television series ''Saturday Night Live''. It evolved from a segment titled "Wayne's Power Minute" (1987) on the CBC Television series '' It's Only Rock & Roll'', as the main characte ...
''), while others are regarded as critical and commercial disasters (
Julia Sweeney
Julia Anne Sweeney (born October 10, 1959) is an American actress, comedian, and author, who gained fame as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1994. She played Mrs. Keeper in the film ''Stuart Little'' and voiced Brittany in ' ...
's ''
It's Pat
''It's Pat'' is a 1994 American slapstick comedy film directed by Adam Bernstein and starring Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, Charles Rocket, and Kathy Griffin. The film was based on the '' Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') character Pat, created by S ...
''!).
*
Henny Youngman
Henry "Henny" Youngman (16 March 1906 – 24 February 1998) was a British-born American comedian and musician famous for his mastery of the " one-liner", his best known being "Take my wife... please".
In a time when many comedians told ela ...
's standard line "Take my wife — please!" was part of his shtick. It consisted of several
one-liners delivered in rapid-fire sequence.
*
Johnny Carson
John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He is best known as the host of ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson received six Pr ...
's many shticks include his role as "
Carnac the Magnificent
Carnac the Magnificent was a recurring comedic role played by Johnny Carson on ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. One of Carson's most well-known characters, Carnac was a "mystic from the East" who could psychically "divine" unknown an ...
", an
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
fortune teller
Fortune telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life. Melton, J. Gordon. (2008). ''The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena''. Visible Ink Press. pp. 115-116. The scope of fortune telling is in principle identical w ...
who could divine answers to questions sealed in envelopes and "kept in a
hermetically sealed
A hermetic seal is any type of sealing that makes a given object airtight (preventing the passage of air, oxygen, or other gases). The term originally applied to airtight glass containers, but as technology advanced it applied to a larger categor ...
mayonnaise
Mayonnaise (; ), colloquially referred to as "mayo" , is a thick, cold, and creamy sauce or dressing commonly used on sandwiches, hamburgers, composed salads, and French fries. It also forms the base for various other sauces, such as tartar ...
jar on the front porch of
Funk & Wagnalls
Funk & Wagnalls was an American publisher known for its reference works, including ''A Standard Dictionary of the English Language'' (1st ed. 1893–5), and the ''Funk & Wagnalls Standard Encyclopedia'' (25 volumes, 1st ed. 1912).Funk & Wagnalls N ...
since noon today". His signature imaginary golf swing at the end of his
monologue
In theatre, a monologue (from el, μονόλογος, from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes a ...
would also qualify.
*
Chris Berman
Christopher James Berman (born May 10, 1955), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American sportscaster. He has been an anchor for ''SportsCenter'' on ESPN since 1979, joining a month after its initial launch, and hosted the network's '' Sunday NFL Count ...
's shtick in his
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
commentary was his tendency to give additional
nickname
A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...
s to players based on their last names (often intended as
pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
s or
pop culture
Pop or POP may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Pop music, a musical genre Artists
* POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade
* Pop!, a UK pop group
* Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band
Albums
* Pop (Gas al ...
references). Berman was also known to often say a football player "could — go — all — the — way" on long
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
plays (parodying
Howard Cosell
Howard is an English language, English-language given name originating from Old French Huard (disambiguation), Huard (or Houard) from a Germanic source similar to Old High German ''*Hugihard'' "heart-brave", or ''*Hoh-ward'', literally "high defe ...
's delivery).
*Comedian
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American comedian, actor, author, and social critic. Regarded as one of the most important and influential stand-up comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercul ...
created a famously banned shtick, "
Filthy Words
The seven dirty words are seven English-language curse words that American comedian George Carlin first listed in his 1972 "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" monologue. The words, in the order Carlin listed them, are: " shit", " pis ...
", a/k/a "Seven dirty words."
*
Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the fi ...
's shtick in his comedy routines is his crude,
misogynist
Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...
themed humor, and sometimes vulgar reinterpretations of
nursery rhymes
A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes.
From t ...
.
*
Rodney Dangerfield's shtick was centered around his famous
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
, "I don't get no respect," accompanied by his characteristic facial gesture and yanking or straightening his scarlet necktie.
*
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( ; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the satirical Comedy Central program ''The Colbert Report'' from 2005 to ...
has referred to
his character from his show ''
The Colbert Report
''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show focuse ...
'' as a shtick.
*
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman ( ; January 17, 1949 – May 16, 1984) was an American entertainer and performance artist. While often called a "comedian", Kaufman preferred to describe himself instead as a "song and dance man". He has sometimes b ...
was a particularly rigorous practitioner of shtick. Kaufman almost never appeared in public, other than as one of his shtick characters, such as "Foreign Man" or
Tony Clifton
Tony Clifton is a character created by comedian and performance artist Andy Kaufman in the late 1970s. An absurdly foul-mouthed and domineering lounge singer claiming to hail from Las Vegas, the tuxedo-clad Clifton often led unsuspecting audie ...
. When he did appear as himself, he still acted out some shtick routine, with one notable example being a long-running
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
feud
A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one part ...
with
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Apr ...
.
*
The Rubberbandits
The Rubberbandits are an Irish comedy hip-hop duo from Limerick city. They consist of Blindboy Boatclub (real name Dave Chambers) and Mr Chrome (sometimes Bobby Chrome; real name Bob McGlynn). During performances and interviews, they conceal t ...
are Irish comedians who wear plastic bags over their faces as shtick.
*
Yakov Smirnoff
Yakov Naumovich Pokhis (russian: Яков Наумович Похис; born 24 January 1951), better known as Yakov Smirnoff (russian: Яков Смирнов; ), is a Ukrainian-American comedian, actor and writer. He began his career as a stan ...
's shtick, at the height of his career, involved comparisons between the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, punctuated by the catchphrase "What a country!".
*
Lewis Black
Lewis Niles Black (born August 30, 1948) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy routines often escalate into angry rants about history, politics, religion, or any other cultural trends.
He hosted the Comedy Central series ''Lewis ...
's shtick is the crescendo of rage upon which his routines are built; another is bewailing the rise in his blood pressure due to the presumed strain of these outbursts.
*
Sam Kinison
Samuel Burl Kinison ( ; December 8, 1953 – April 10, 1992) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. A former Pentecostal preacher, he performed stand-up routines that were characterized by intense sudden tirades, punctuated with his distinc ...
's shtick was his increasingly emotional, high-stress vocal delivery, often leading to actual shouting or screaming, to the point where his voice became hoarse.
*
Bob Newhart
George Robert Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his deadpan and slightly stammering delivery style. Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, ''The Button-Down Mi ...
's shtick is his long phone calls with imaginary or historical persons. Hearing only Newhart's
deadpan
Deadpan, dry humour, or dry-wit humour is the deliberate display of emotional neutrality or no emotion, commonly as a form of comedic delivery to contrast with the ridiculousness or absurdity of the subject matter. The delivery is meant to be blun ...
comments, the audience is left to infer what the other person is saying.
*All original members of
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...
were known for having shticks.
Jeff Fatt's was
falling asleep at odd times, leading the other Wiggles and the audience to call out the
catchphrase
A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
"
Wake Up Jeff!
''Wake Up Jeff!'' is the sixth album by Australian band the Wiggles, released in 1996 by ABC Music distributed by EMI. It won the ARIA Award for Best Children's Album in 1996.
Track list AUS track list
US track list
Personnel
Source: ''Wa ...
",
Anthony Field
Anthony Donald Joseph Field, AM (born 8 May 1963) is an Australian musician, actor, songwriter and producer. He is best known as a leader of the children's group the Wiggles and a member of the 1980s and 1990s pop band the Cockroaches. While s ...
's was eating too much food,
Greg Page's was doing
magic
Magic or Magick most commonly refers to:
* Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces
* Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic
* Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...
tricks, and
Murray Cook
Murray James Cook, AM (born 30 June 1960) is an Australian musician, actor, and Disc jockey. Cook was one of the founding members of the children's band the Wiggles from 1991 to 2012. Cook provided guitar, vocals, and songwriting in the group ...
's was an obsession with playing the
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
.
*
Penn and Teller Penn may refer to:
Places
England
* Penn, Buckinghamshire
* Penn, West Midlands
United States
* Penn, North Dakota
* Penn, Oregon
* Pennsylvania
** Penn, Pennsylvania
* Penn Lake Park, Pennsylvania
* Penn Township (disambiguation), several muni ...
's shtick focuses mainly on which part of the duo does the talking; Penn provides the only on-stage narration and is the only public voice of the act, whereas Teller never speaks on stage or on camera. In on-camera interviews, Teller remains in shadow, and in rare circumstances when Teller speaks on-stage, his face is obscured.
*
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous ro ...
's stage persona, with his perpetually high-pitched squeaky voice and pinched face, is a shtick that has been maintained through almost all of his public appearances and television and film roles.
*
Larry the Cable Guy
Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally by his persona Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, country music artist, and former radio personality.
He was one of the members of the ...
's stage persona, developed during his days as a member of a morning radio zoo crew, is considered a shtick. Despite his public appearances as a hillbilly with a deep Southern accent, propensity for wearing sleeveless flannel shirts and his signature "Git-R-Done!" catchphrase, the comedian, whose real name is Daniel Whitney, is a native of Nebraska.
*
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
played a nerd character with a nasal voice and overexcited mannerisms.
*
Flip Wilson
Clerow "Flip" Wilson Jr. (December 8, 1933 – November 25, 1998) was an American comedian and actor best known for his television appearances during the late 1960s and 1970s. From 1970 to 1974, Wilson hosted his own weekly variety series ''The F ...
had as his catchphrase "The devil made me do it!"
*
Pee-wee Herman
Pee-wee Herman is a comic fictional character created and portrayed by American comedian Paul Reubens. He is best known for his films and television series during the 1980s. The childlike Pee-wee Herman character developed as a stage act that q ...
is recognizable for his tight-fitting gray suit, red bow tie, short black hair, pale face, and rouged cheeks. He also delivers a high-pitched laugh, and is often seen riding a colorful bicycle. His trademark comeback is "I know you are, but what am I?"
*
Adam Sandler
Adam Richard Sandler (born September 9, 1966) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, producer and singer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1990 to 1995, before going on to star in numerous Hollywood films, those of wh ...
once performed the shtick of playing simple ditties on his guitar (most famously his "Hanukkah" song) while awkwardly singing lyrics in a whiny voice.
*
Chris Farley
Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the ...
was a large, heavyset, clumsy man, with a loud and sometimes wheezy voice. His most famous sketch character, Matt Foley, would warn other characters to behave, lest they wind up "living in a van down by the river," before falling and crashing into something.
*
Julie Brown
Julie Ann Brown (born August 31, 1958) is an American actress, comedian, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, and television director. Brown is known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl charac ...
was known for her stereotypical "dumb blonde" character, and her lisp.
*
Jaleel White was known as Steve Urkel, a nerdy boy who wore glasses and suspenders, played the accordion, and delivered a snorting laugh. His most noteworthy shtick was accidentally destroying something and then asking guiltily, "Did I do that?"
''Batman'' villain examples
*
The Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Bat ...
(real name unknown): This psychopathic killer naturally resembles a clown, wears a purple suit, and commits crimes that often reference humorous entertainments, such as the circus, vaudeville, stand-up comedy, or cartoons. His partner
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...
performs a similar, though often feminized, shtick.
*
Catwoman
Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...
(real name Selina Kyle): A beautiful cat burglar who imitates an actual cat with her claws, pointed-eared mask, and skintight bodysuit.
*The Penguin (real name Oswald Cobblepot): Has a fascination with birds, and penguins in particular. Also wears a tuxedo and top hat, and uses an umbrella for various purposes.
*Two-Face (real name Harvey Dent): Half his face is hideously scarred, and he is obsessed with the duality of human nature. His morality is determined by the flip of a coin that has scratch marks carved into one side.
*The Riddler (real name Edward Nigma; sometimes Nashton): Leaves clues to his criminal capers in the form of riddles.
*The Mad Hatter (real name Jervis Tetch): Commits crimes thematically based either on hats or on the children's story ''
Alice in Wonderland
''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...
''.
*Mr. Freeze (real name Victor Fries): A metahuman who can survive only in a cybernetic suit that keeps his body at subzero temperatures. Uses an ice-spraying gun as his weapon.
*Poison Ivy (real name Pamela Isley): A fanatical botanist, she considers plants to be more worthy of life than humans. Dresses in foliage and commits crimes with the help of mutated, often carnivorous plants. She can kill a victim with the toxins in her body via a kiss. Harley Quinn is her sidekick and lover, despite the differences between their shticks.
*The Scarecrow (real name Jonathan Crane): Dresses as his namesake. Infects his victims with a hallucinogenic gas that causes them to see their worst fears come to life.
*Bane (real name Eduardo Dorrance): He was a former prisoner subjected to a dangerous medical experiment that gave him superior physical strength and near-invulnerability. Usually seen wearing a frightening hooded mask, to which is attached an implant that pumps Venom, a powerful steroid, directly into his bloodstream.
*Ra's Al-Ghul: He is a wealthy Middle Eastern lord whose facial hair gives him the appearance of a devil. He is centuries old due to regular immersions in the rejuvenating chemicals of the Lazarus Pit. A genocidal lunatic, his objective is to destroy everything in the world he considers evil.
*The Ventriloquist (real name Arnold Wesker): He is skilled at throwing his voice, and expresses an alternate personality through Scarface, a wooden dummy dressed as a gangster.
*Maxie Zeus (real name Max Zlotski): Believes himself to be the Greek god of thunder, and usually seen wearing a toga and sandals.
*Clayface (real name Matt Hagen): A former actor whose body chemistry was mutated by a putty-like substance, he is able to reshape his body into the form of any human he wishes, as well as being able to mimic his or her voice.
*Killer Croc (real name Waylon Jones): Suffers from a disease that has left him with scaly green skin, and believes himself to be an actual crocodile.
*The Firefly (real name Garfield Lynns): An arsonist armed with a flamethrower, dressed in metal armor that makes him resemble a humanoid insect.
*Abbatoir (real name Arnold Etchison): This cannibalistic serial killer slaughtered and ate members of his family, believing that their "souls" would keep him alive indefinitely. He was one of the few ''Batman'' villains who was killed and stayed dead.
*Baby Doll (real name Mary Dahl): Born with a chronic condition that left her with the physical proportions of a toddler, she believes herself to be literally a toddler, albeit an evil one.
*Roxy Rocket (real name Roxanne Sutton): Dresses as a World War I fighter pilot and rides a missile-shaped aircraft.
*Hush (real name Thomas Elliot): This villain worked behind the scenes, secretly manipulating other villains. His face was always swathed in bandages. He was fond of quoting the philosopher
Aristotle
Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of phil ...
.
*Deadshot (real name Floyd Lawton): Known as the world's greatest sharpshooter and assassin-for-hire.
*Black Mask (real name Roman Sionis): This mob boss has a mania for masks, and conceals his burned face with one that is black and terrifying. His minions, collectively known as the False Face society, also wear masks.
*Victor Zsasz: A knife-wielding murderer who usually appears stripped to the waist or almost naked, displaying the tally marks carved into his skin for every victim whose throat he has slit.
*The Phantasm (real name Andrea Beaumont): An assassin who dresses in a futuristic suit that makes her resemble the Grim Reaper.
*Cap'n Fear: Looks, talks, and acts like a colonial-era pirate captain.
*The Ratcatcher (real name Otis Flannegan): A former exterminator, he instead came to see himself as the leader of all sewer rats. He summons the rats by blowing into a "silent" whistle.
*Azrael (real name Jean-Paul Valley): More of an antihero than a villain, Azrael wore the disguise of a murderous knight with a fiery sword. The Azrael persona was passed down from father to son for several centuries.
*Mr. Nice: This mild-mannered, bespectacled man stages violent robberies, but also attempts to be polite and even kind to his victims.
*The General (real name Ulysses Armstrong): A child prodigy obsessed with military history.
*The Troika: Three ex-Soviet spies (Dark Rider, Romana, Colonel Vega) turned terrorists, they continued to operate after Russia's communist government fell. They were assisted by the KGBeast, a hulking cyborg.
*The Condiment King (real name Buddy Standler): One of the most humorous (and harmless) members of the Rogues Gallery. All he was capable of doing was squirting messy condiments at people. He was revealed to be a stand-up comedian whom the Joker, in a fit of jealousy, drove insane using a mind chip.
Professional wrestling shticks
*"Gorgeous George" Wagner developed one of the earliest wrestling gimmicks: that of an effeminate wrestler with curled blond hair, who had a phobia of germs and would be accompanied to the ring by a servant spraying antiseptic perfume.
*"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers was one of the first "arrogant heel" characters. He was known for saying, "To a nicer guy, it couldn't happen."
*
Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
: Known for flexing his biceps while flashing a wild-eyed expression. Told children to "eat their vitamins and say their prayers."
*
Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
sported an elaborate robe and long blond hair, and delivered numerous catchphrases, such as "Woo!" and "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." During his matches he would sometimes "strut," walking in an exaggeratedly slow manner while pointing his index fingers.
*
Sting: He enters rings dressed all in black and with his face painted white and black, often with a baseball bat. He also howls while cupping his hands around his mouth.
*
CM Punk
Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known for ...
: Performs a gesture very similar to Sting's, except that he shouts, "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"
*
Stone Cold Steve Austin
Steve Austin (born Steven James Anderson; December 18, 1964), better known by his ring name "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, is an American media personality, actor, and retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most ...
: His main shtick is crashing two opened beer cans together before gulping down both of them at once. His most common catchphrase is "Gimme a 'Hell yeah!' "
*
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...
: Upon reaching the ring, he would take a sip from a water bottle and then spew the water straight up into the air. At special events, he was known to enter arenas wearing a metal crown and often a matching skull mask, in tribute to his "King of Kings" nickname.
*
Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one of ...
: Known for a variety of distinctive gestures: throwing his head back and spreading his arms out as pyrotechnics explode in the background; squatting sideways on his haunches while flexing his biceps; dramatically springing to his feet after being knocked down; tumbling ostentatiously over ring turnbuckles when he is thrown into them; and stomping his foot repeatedly before kicking an opponent in the face.
*
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majority ...
: Believing himself to be undead, he walked toward the ring through bluish mist at a foreboding tread, wearing a black hat and trench coat. Another signature gimmick of his was crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue as he "killed" (pinned) an opponent.
*
Kane: Supposedly pyrokinetic, he would angrily lift his hands above his head before bringing them down with a violent motion, apparently causing the turnbuckles to burst into flame.
*
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied w ...
: Among the gestures he performed were the "Five-Knuckle Shuffle" (bouncing off the ropes before falling to the mat with a palm strike to the face of a downed opponent) and the "You Can't See Me" (waving his hand in front of his face). His greatest catchphrase was "The champ is here!" Earlier in his career, he taunted his opponents with insulting rap lyrics.
*
Batista
Batista is a Spanish language, Spanish or Portuguese language, Portuguese surname. Notable persons with the name include:
* Batista (footballer, born 1955), Brazilian football player
* Dave Bautista, American actor and professional wrestler, also ...
would crouch on the entrance ramp and "fire" imaginary machine guns with his fists as smoke bombs went off behind him, then stand up and thrust his palm down in tandem with a final explosion. During matches he was known to experience a rush of adrenaline that inspired him to grab the ring ropes and shake them furiously while "roaring."
*
Randy Orton
Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American Professional wrestling, professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. H ...
stands atop the turnbuckle while posing narcissistically, one hand raised higher than the other.
*
Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's freestyle 100 kg, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former Collegiate wrestling, ...
, a real-life Olympic gold medalist, wore his medal around his neck constantly. The words he lived by were "intensity," "integrity," and "intelligence." His catchphrase was "Oh, it's true. It's damn true."
* "Mr. Anderson," born Ken Anderson: A loudmouth known for performing his own ring introduction, loudly intoning his last name twice.
*
Bobby Roode: At certain times in his career, he has worn a fancy bathrobe and not only bragged about being selfish, but claiming to lead the "Selfish Generation." Also has nicknamed himself "Glorious."
*
James Storm
James Allen Cox (born June 1, 1977) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name James Storm. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling.
He started his career in 1997 and after working on several independent pr ...
: A Southern redneck. Catchphrase: "Sorry about your damn luck."
*Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) is a New York City socialite with some Mob characteristics, famous for sporting an oversized diamond ring and a plaid scarf worn around his shoulders. Uses his fortune to hire goons and to bribe others into giving him what he wants. Claims to be "better than you, and you know it."
Tojo Yamamoto (real name Harold Watanabe, who was Japanese-American) played to American awareness of the Pacific Theater of World War II. Tojo was a Japanese general, and Yamamoto was the Japanese admiral who oversaw the attack on Pearl Harbor. Tojo Yamamoto wore a kimono to the ring, and often would use wooden shoes to strike opponents.
See also
*
Trope
Trope or tropes may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Trope (cinema), a cinematic convention for conveying a concept
* Trope (literature), a figure of speech or common literary device
* Trope (music), any of a variety of different things ...
References
{{Reflist
Comedy
Yiddish words and phrases
Jewish comedy and humor