I don’t blog very often. As you may or may not know, I always stay away from blogging about social and political subjects.
Although the topics I write about might seem, at times a bit superficial, I stand by my thoughts and views. LOL LOL LOL LOL

I was talking with a dear friend of mine the other day and the topic of my choice for stage clothes came up. It was a pleasant conversation, even though my friend had the same view that others have expressed; that I don’t dress overly professional.

Over the years, the only thing I ever argued with my manager about was clothes. He never specifically said this, but I always felt he hated my choice of stage outfits.One of the biggest ongoing arguments I had with him until the day he passed away was his desire for me to wear Khaki pants. and my response to him; FUCKING HARD PASS, NOT A CHANCE IN HELL.
I had many reasons for refusing to wear khaki, but my 2 biggest issues were
1. they show every little thing, like the outline of a tucked in shirt, and any other things that make them look rumpled
AND
2. WATER STAINS.  Was I worried about an incontinent moment?  No, I was not.
What I was worried about is every possible thing could happen that most people might not necessarily consider – such as, washing my hands and a small amount of water splashing from the sink and landing on my pants, holding a cold drink filled with ice and suddenly having a droplet from condensation dropping from the glass and landing on my pants, etc.
A single droplet on the front of khaki pants will not disappear once it’s dried, and that visual is far from flattering. I am not overly vain, but I still would not be thrilled with the possible appearance that there might be a drop of pee on the front of my pants while on stage in front of hundreds of people.

I have argued with wives over clothing – one in particular ! She would frequently buy “fashionable” items for me to wear. I would look at her choices and think the items were the great start to a potential future set of pictures that would eventually lead to blackmail.
There were moments in time where I gave in to her pseudo demands that I wear something. All I can say is I am very grateful this all took place before cell phone cameras / video cameras. Although there may still be photographic evidence floating around, it is not nearly as abundant as it would be if I gave in to these demands in the last 10 – 15 years. Stage items I wore (but hated and knew was a bad idea and would regret), include suspenders, leather pants, Bill Cosby sweaters, and so much more.
( I will admit the incredibly ugly ponytails were my idea. I would love to blame someone / anyone else, but I take full responsibility)

I don’t remember, but may have had a discussion or two with my publicist. Although, if we did discuss clothing, it wasn’t often enough or contentious, so it doesn’t stick out in my memory.

If any hypnotists are reading this, I am not trying to be mean or judgey.

From my first days on stage, I quickly became aware there were several stereotypes about hypnosis, and stage hypnotists. From my perspective, most of the stereotypes were far from flattering. There seemed to be an expectation from most people regarding the look of the hypnotist, the personality of the hypnotist, the stage material (suggestions given to volunteers) of the hypnotist, and other aspects of the hypnotist and their anticipated performance.

I thought about the stereotypes and how they applied to my profession, personality, performance, appearance, and my degree of comfort on and off stage. When I first started performing I wanted to structure my show so people might view me as a comic who performed comedy and hypnosis as a way to entertain audiences, instead of a stage hypnotist. ( it may not seem like a big difference, but I think the differences are huge). At the same time I hoped the audience would perceive my desire to be respectful to the volunteers while attempting to come up with creative suggestions that promoted an opportunity for each volunteer to explore their creative unconscious mind. I never set out to sound like or look like a hypnotist that the audience might stereotypically expect. The few times I gave in to someone’s suggestion / request / demand that I wear a suit or some other professional stage outfit, I had a few thoughts and feelings once I got dressed. On one hand I was begrudgingly willing to admit the outfit did look professional, and in theory was a good idea. On the other hand (much more important to me) I felt wildly uncomfortable, looked like I felt uncomfortable, moved awkwardly, and felt much more like I was playing a role and not being myself. Furthermore, I felt like the professional outfit looked more like a stage hypnotist that an audience might expect to see. But I wanted to be myself and present a hypnotist that was a surprising departure from what the audience might be expecting.

I understand there is an appeal, even a mystic from the audience’s point of view when they see someone on stage who appears professional, larger than life, mysterious, etc. As a performer (especially a hypnotist) the psychology behind setting yourself apart, from everyone else in the room (the audience) gives credibility, inspires confidence, and can even be intimidating (in a good way) is very real, and can be very positive.
However, I wanted (and still want) the appearance of someone who is confident, comfortable, casual, relatable, approachable, and hopefully trustworthy. I wouldn’t be surprised to find my casual attire and attitude might be off putting to some, but overall, I think my appearance is consistent with my personality. I also think that overall my casual attire and and genuine approach to performing might help an audience to drop some of their preconceived stereotypes, concerns, and reluctance to volunteer.

In conclusion, I fully admit to dressing casually on and off stage, but whether or not my logic makes sense, It is not an accident.