Part 13/15:
Throughout the dialogue, Ian reflects on the process of creating comedy, the challenge of developing fresh material, and the importance of authenticity. He discusses his innovative approach of integrating presentation aids—like slides—into his stand-up to add a layer of commentary, akin to a TED Talk, to elevate the audience’s engagement.
He emphasizes the importance of continually writing, testing, and refining jokes, noting that fresh material can reinvigorate a comic’s career and that overcoming the fear of starting anew is part of the artistic journey. Ian laments the loss of prop comics and the early era of wild, unguarded comedy, contrasting it with today's more sanitized or commercial comedy landscape.