I KNOW THIS IS AN OLD CLIP
I don’t care.
I saw it an it registered this morning that Bill Murray is a masterclass of bits and schtick, two things I categorically love.
If you listen to me and Mahoney, then you know that to be true. So much that sometimes we break conversation and have to ask each other – is this bit, schtick or straight up?
For example, I wrote a long winded thing about being out on the band Goose, an obsession of Mahoney’s. We traveled across the country to watch the band together. We talk about them constantly. And then one day I just said I don’t like them that much because I wanted to get a reaction from Mahoney.
We call that a bit.
But then sometimes I’ll just unnecessarily rag on the piano player Peter for no reason. I’ll text Mahoney in the morning. I think I’m out on Peter’s scaling in 2nd set jams. And that’s over-criticism to an alarming extent otherwise known as schtick. It’s not a specific bit bot more of a fluid theme to bigger joke – that I actually dislike Mahoney’s favorite band because of his favorite musician.
Another good example were my Mitch Trubisky takes. Technically I was always IN on Mitch and that’s largely because everyone else in Chicago was OUT. So the schtick becomes I’m in on Mitch no matter what. And the bit is waking up on Sunday at 4am to pump him up.
The difference there is that the original schtick evolved into authenticity the more exposure I got to the abject hatred towards Mitch.
Does that make sense?
Because Bill Murray has 1,000 schticks going at once and they’re layered with the best bits. Nobody like this guy anywhere to the point that he could actually make you 2nd guess whether or not he knew Joe Rogan before traveling to Austin Texas to be on his podcast for hours. The delivery is unmatched.
Are we live?
Are you guys recording this?
Modern day bit/schtick expert is probably Nathan Fielder. I’m not an expert on his work but when I think bit and schtick in today’s world, I think Fielder.
Another good example would be Matt Shaw. Me hating his guts is inbetween schtick and truth. I leaned into the schtick because I had emerging feelings of hatred. So I got in front of it with some schtick and the underlying bit there is being overly critical, a recurring bit for many schticks in my life.
And as I explain all of this, it’s actually quite therapeutic to reflect on.
Some observations:
- MILFs is authentic but it’s also a bit. The schtick is that I think there’s so much objectification to draw attention to underlying, unrelated content. And mostly predatory or weird. So going classic full blown MILF becomes a much easier place for me to exist as a 38 year old guy. If we’re getting horny I want it safe. That’s Cersei Lannister. That’s Dolly Parton. That’s a place we can all relate to in some way shape or form.
- Hating Starlin Castro, not a bit or schtick
- Coach K to the Bulls is a bit. The schtick is that Coach K is a Chicago kid who just wants to come home and coach in front of his buddies. The NBA is an industrial-grade rumor mill factory from 1930’s Germany and the Bulls have been playing the long game.
- Hating Brandon Johnson, not a schtick. Fuck that guy.
- Deep dish is overrated – a little bit of everything.
This is how my brain is wired, which technically makes all of it authentic and this all started with a 4 month old Bill Murray clip.
Which again is why I like blogging so much because I quite honestly have no idea where things go until we go there.
Which also happens to be a good metaphor for life.
Anyways. All this to say one of my least favorite sayings on the internet.
Bill Murray remains undefeated.
Barf*
* Not schtick