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Comedy Central Presents

René Hicks

Comedy Central · 2000 · 25 min

A former accountant delivers tightly constructed observations on family and religion.

René Hicks leans into her strict Pentecostal upbringing and pitches racially sensitive snack foods in her 2000 half-hour set. A former accountant who quit her day job after a successful open mic dare, Hicks performs with the steady, practiced cadence of a road comic who knows exactly how to read a room. Her material is tightly constructed, relying on quiet tension and sharp setups rather than frantic energy.

The television set tackles her homophobic grandfather, breastfeeding on a jumbotron, and practical advice for gang members. She jokes about the realities of family reunions, observing that they are the time you face your family tree and realize a few branches need cutting. By the time she compares her strict, pop-culture-free childhood to being a lightbulb and a car away from the Amish, Hicks demonstrates the pacing that made her a dominant act on the college comedy circuit.

The set list

4 bits
  1. Trips to England, Mississippi, and visiting her homophobic grandfather

    Recounts travel experiences and overcoming her family's dysfunction.

  2. Plans for racially-sensitive snack food

    Proposes culturally conscious snack food ideas.

  3. Breastfeeding on a jumbotron

    Reflects humorously on an incident involving public exposure on an arena screen.

  4. Advice and tips for gang members

    Offers humorous guidance and commentary directed at gang members.

How it plays

Tone
Intelligent, realistic, and socially conscious.
On stage
Dubbed the 'Nubian Powerhouse' and recognized as a comic with a social conscience practicing 'comedy activism' with intelligent, universally appealing humor.
About
family dysfunction, travel stories, race and racially-sensitive snack food, parenting, gang members, homophobia

Backstory

Aired as part of Comedy Central Presents, a half-hour showcase series highlighting up-and-coming stand-up comedians.

Details

Released
Runtime
25 min
Where
Comedy Central
Director
Paul Miller
Topics

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