Ian Harris
Standup as an aggressive, logic-driven breakdown of magical thinking.
1 special · 2017
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Ian Harris performs like a prosecutor who has finally lost his patience. He attacks magical thinking not with vague philosophy, but with administrative questions. When tackling the idea that divine intervention kept a driver out of a fatal pileup, he does not just mock the premise. He adopts the voice of an omnipotent deity deciding the best way to save a restaurant worker is to play a low-stakes shell game with a set of car keys. He relies heavily on these act-outs, shifting his posture and dropping his register to embody the targets of his frustration.
Specials
On stage
He occupies a very specific lane in the comedy ecosystem, performing regularly at freethought conventions and secular festivals. His material stays tightly focused on the collision between science and belief. He takes apart alternative medicine, climate denial, and astrology with an exasperated, rapid-fire cadence. The appeal of an Ian Harris set is rarely about narrative surprise. It is about watching an argument get cornered and systematically taken apart. He gives the audience the satisfaction of seeing bad logic humiliated.
That combative posture is literal. Outside of standup, Harris owns and runs a mixed martial arts training center in Los Angeles. He has described his approach to both comedy and combat as putting science before art. He builds his jokes the same way he teaches a fighter to grapple: as a mechanical problem where leverage and positioning dictate the outcome. When his best material lands, it feels less like a magic trick and more like a successfully executed hold.
Turning points
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2006–2011
Hiatus and Shift to Skeptical Comedy
After stepping back from standup due to the birth of his daughter and industry friction, Harris returned to the stage committing his material exclusively to atheism, science, and critical thinking.
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Recording of Critical & Thinking
Recorded on December 21, 2012 as a CFI fundraiser framed around the 'Mayan Apocalypse,' the TV special launched his brand of skeptical comedy.
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2016–2019
Creation of Science and Fiction Comedy Show
Teaming with fellow comic Leighann Lord, Harris launched a recurring headline show at Atlanta's DragonCon combining con culture, science, skepticism, and atheism.
At a glance
- Born
- 1971, Santa Cruz, California
- On stage
- since 1992
- Style
- satire, observational, impressions
- Breakout
- Critical & Thinking
- Topics
- Elsewhere
- Wikipedia
Fans also like
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Ty Barnett
Barnett co-hosted the 'Critical AND Thinking' podcast with Harris, and Harris directed Barnett's standup comedy special 'Issues.'
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Dwayne PerkinsPerkins is a close creative contemporary whose hour-long comedy special 'Take Note' was directed by Harris.
Podcasts
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Critical AND Thinking with Ty Barnett and Ian Harris · co-host
Comedians Ty Barnett and Ian Harris use humor and critical thinking skills to discuss politics, comedy, science, and MMA.
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Dogma Debate · co-host
A podcast discussing skepticism, secularism, and debate where Harris joined as a part-time co-host.
A clip to start with
Ian Harris Spiritual Gurus