Shtick

For the game, see Schtick (disc game).

A shtick is a comic theme or gimmick. The word entered the English language from the Yiddish shtik (שטיק), related to German Stück, Polish sztuka, Cyrillic штука (all ultimately from Proto-Germanic *stukkiją), all meaning "piece", "thing" or "theatre play"; Theaterstück is the German word for play (and is a synonym of Schauspiel, literally "viewing play" in contrast to 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 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.

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, "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 (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).

What may be considered non-comedic and/or religious shticks are the metaphysical domains of the numerous gods and goddesses of the world’s mythologies, who each embody a particular set of supernatural powers and (usually) a complex of spiritual values. Perhaps the most famous example is the “thunder-god,” personified by Zeus, Jupiter, Thor, Indra, and other pagan deities. It is not unusual for comic book characters and professional wrestlers alike to draw upon these mythologies in their megalomania to craft either heroic or villainous personae; indeed, there exist both a DC Comics villain and a former pro wrestler who adopted “Zeus” as their name. Some of these characters genuinely are mythological figures, such as Thor and Loki of the Marvel Comics Universe. And in lighter entertainments such as Disney’s animated film Hercules and the ‘90s TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Greek deities tend to be rendered as comedic stereotypes, causing them to have literal shticks. On the series, for example, Athena, the goddess of wisdom, wears eyeglasses, while her sister, literal sex-goddess Aphrodite, is an archetypal “dumb blonde.” And in the Disney film, death-god Hades behaves like an evil stand-up comedian, cracking grim jokes.

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 created one of the earliest of modern comedy shticks: bowler hat, toothbrush mustache, bamboo cane, baggy pants, floppy shoes, and a waddling walk.
• Marcel Marceau, 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. Countless other mimes have copied these acts.
• Jack Benny'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 violinist and lavish tipper, and kept celebrating his 39th birthday each year publicly because "there's nothing funny about 40".
• Bill Cosby 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, Groucho, Chico and Harpo, had well-honed shticks by the time they started making movies.
  • Groucho, with his stooped walk, greasepaint moustache, lascivious eyebrow raising, and his cigar;
  • Chico, with his fake Italian accent, his "shooting the keys" style of piano playing, and borderline moronic behavior; and
  • Harpo, with his pantomime routines, the seemingly bottomless pockets of his trench coat, and his ability to play the harp.
  • 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.
• Chris Berman's shtick in his ESPN commentary was his tendency to give additional nicknames to players based on their last names (often intended as puns or pop culture references). Berman was also known to often say a football player "could — go — all — the — way" on long touchdown plays (parodying Howard Cosell's delivery).
• Comedian George Carlin created a famously banned shtick, "Filthy Words", a/k/a "Seven dirty words.".
• Stephen Colbert has referred to his character from his show The Colbert Report as a shtick.
• Bob Newhart's shtick was his long phone calls with imaginary or historical persons. Hearing only Newhart's deadpan comments, the audience was left to infer what the other person is saying.
• Pee-wee Herman was recognizable for his tight-fitting gray suit, red bow tie, short black hair, pale face, and rouged cheeks. He also delivered a high-pitched laugh, and was often seen riding a colorful bicycle. His trademark comeback was "I know you are, but what am I?"
• Adam Sandler 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 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.
• The Joker from Batman 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 performs a similar, though often feminized, shtick.
• "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: Known for flexing his biceps while flashing a wild-eyed expression. Told children to "eat their vitamins and say their prayers."
• Ric Flair 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: Performs a gesture very similar to Sting's, except that he shouts, "IT'S CLOBBERIN' TIME!"
• Stone Cold Steve Austin: 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!' "
• John Cena: 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.
• 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

• Patter
• Trope