Bill Cosby: The Storyteller

There is just something about a good story that mesmerizes us. I am talking about good stories though, not the blah, blah, blah "hurry up with it, so I can get on with my life" kind of deal. But there is no clear answer whether storytelling is a gift or skill. Can a person train themselves to be a be a good storyteller or is it something you are born with? I do not know. What I do know, just like most people, is how to identify a good story. I believe out of all the comedians out there, Bill Cosby is the best. He is one of the few comedians that can make me laugh and try and keep quiet at the same time, in order to hear the rest of the joke. This is what a good story does: entertain as well as keeping the listener attentive. 

Bill Cosby's "Bill Cosby Himself" was the first stand-up act I have ever watched. I highly recommend this particular stand-up for young viewers for the funny, yet clean humor. One part I remember most from this act was his story about the birth of his first child. The way Cosby describes this story is so regal, so pristine, you actually start feeling as if Bill is your grandfather and you are ten again, sitting cross-legged on the floor. 

It all starts off with Cosby's appearance. With a light brown suit and tie, you already get the impression of Cosby's professionalism. This immediately gives him well deserved integrity which demands respect. Body posture is another influence that most people might not realize from a good storyteller.  The way he positions himself in his chair, he seems calm, cool, and collect. Cosby gives off the attitude as if he doesn't care of the audience's reaction, he's going to tell his story, the way he wants to, regardless. But he does so, enthusiastically. The combination of energy and emotion, along with poise and swagger is a craft that can rarely be pulled off. This combination is what makes Bill Cosby one of the best storytellers.  

When telling wild and zany stories, the average storyteller does not go into detail about his/her emotions. They just assume the listener understands the matter being described. This failure is what leaves stories bland and boring. But not Cosby.. It is nine months into his wife's pregnancy when she starts going into labor. He immediately lets the viewer know the distress and panic he was enduring. He transports the listener into the car, which he and his wife take to get to the hospital. Later, they arrive at the hospital and it is here, where things get serious. Without morphine, and his wife contracting, Bill describes the pain his wife was going through. Then he would jump back to and play his role as the husband and soon to be father. Then he played as the doctor and all three roles back and forth without missing a beat. It was an impressing performance that I love watching again and again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-AG_yF1Uw&feature=related