Perkins 1

Lindsey Perkins

RC 1000

Ms. Kane

27 September 2019

Changing Comedy

The world of comedy was changed when Kevin Hart was introduced, he became very

well known for his comedy and his roles in movies. When comedy blew up, there were

producers who made more than the actual comedians themselves. Kevin Hart changed this and

therefore made a positive impact in the comedy community. Not only did he change some

business aspects of comedy, but he also became well known for his bits and comedic acts.

Audiences around the world are captivated by his words and stories, he is able to reach every

type of person using his personal experiences. Because of Kevin Hart’s passion for making

people laugh through comedy, he is able to effectively express his emotions about certain stories

he may tell or experiences in his life. Through the use of inflection, repetition, incongruity, and

constant movement, Kevin Hart captures the audience while telling a story aimed at promoting

an emotional response.

Kevin Hart changes his tone of voice multiple different times during this bit, he raises his

voice, lowers his voice and emphasizes certain words. This helps grab the audience's attention

and keep them captivated on the story. For example, he says “you wanna smack me in front of

my friends!” in a very high pitched tone, almost running the words together. When someone uses

different pitches while speaking, it tends to make the other person laugh or at least smile. There

is something about the change of tone or pitch that brings the audience’s attention back to the

story. It makes a story more interesting to the audience, in addition to making it easier to
 Perkins 2

understand. This is extremely effective in Kevin Hart’s bit because as he tells the story about his

childhood, the inflection of his voice makes the audience imagine his young self saying these

things and getting upset. It is almost like an exaggerated representation and of how Hart felt in

those moments. Repetition is a very strong tool that Hart uses. He repeats many words and

phrases throughout the bit and every time they are as effective at the last. In the video he says,

“okay I got it. I got it. Okay okay. I got it” in this quote Hart combines repetition and inflection

which gets a huge reaction from the audience, he repeats a word and increases his pitch each

time he says it. It is evident throughout the act that every time he says a word or phrase over and

over again, the audience laughs more each time. This makes the audience want to continue

listening to Hart and give him their full attention.

The Incongruity Theory is also seen in this bit. This theory is mostly set up in the

introduction to an act and is repeated anywhere towards the middle or end of the act. Hart sets up

his bit by beginning with a story about the time his daughter said her first cuss word, this is used

to capture the audience in addition to getting them interested in what he is expressing After this

short story Hart moves to talk about his own childhood and the first time he cussed; explaining

the two scenarios wherein he cussed for the first time by himself and in front of people. In his

third story about cursing at the teacher, the audience expects him to say exactly what his mother

tells him to. He practices in his room and prepares for the next day, so by these activities the

audience thinks that he will just do what he was told. However, Hart takes a different turn and

explains that not only did he use the two words, but he also used many other ones as well. After

this he reveals his mothers comment on the situation, “I told you to say two cuss words, you said

76 of them”. This comes as a shock to the audience and results in a positive reaction from them.
 Perkins 3

Throughout his comedy act, Hart tends to walk around the stage, making hand gestures

and facial expressions during certain segments. When watching Kevin Hart do his comedy act

the audience is constantly following him around the stage. In the middle of this video, Kevin

walks around the stage when he is talking about how he was rehearsing in his room. He walks

back and forth across the stage and stops as if he is posing in a mirror. This draws the audience

in and makes them watch Hart as he is telling these stories. It gives the audience the feeling that

if they do not watch him, they may miss an important gesture that is key to the story. Keeping

the attention of the audience is the difference between a good comedy act and a bad one.

Pathos is evident in this bit as well, it can be seen all throughout his comedic speech.

Kevin Hart tells stories from his childhood and even his current place in life as well as using

vivid language to capture the audience. He also interacts with the crowd, gesturing towards

people and even asking rhetorical questions to get them interested in what he has to say. The

audience can not help but be completely engaged in Kevin Hart’s bit. Pathos is an effective tool

in comedy because it causes the audience to feel an emotion such as joy, which they will then

portray to the comic through laughter. This makes the audience feel what he is feeling and they

can better understand him and what he is saying. If his act lacked the use of pathos, it would

simply be boring for those watching and therefore there would be absolutely no emotional

connection between the audience and Kevin Hart. The emotional factor is very important

whether it is a speech, song or comedy act because it helps the audience know how passionate

the speaker is about the subject. There is a connection formed between them and this can now

carry through the rest of the act. Knowing that the speaker trusts what they are saying and is fully

certain of their message can also help the audience to relax and enjoy the comedy act.
 Perkins 4

Kevin Hart did many things to change the comedy industry. He made it what it is today,

which is both good for the audience and the comedians themselves. Because of his efforts, he

himself is able to make more money without the need for producers taking all of his earnings.

This created a new outlet of comedy for other comedians that are in the business. Throughout his

years in comedy, he has made an image for himself as someone who can keep the attention of an

audience without crossing any lines and using these tools. All throughout Kevin Hart’s bit, he

uses comedic and rhetorical devices to efficiently deliver his bit and keep the attention of the

audience.