Presented by Ed Hill
I really like Ed Hill. I dig his chill vibe. I wish he had a larger audience when I went to see him. He’s so warm and open, so disarming, that he manages to dispel a lot of the potential awkwardness of having such a small handful of people at his show.
The title, Stupid Ed, is an odd choice. In his stories, there isn’t really a foundation of particularly foolish behaviour or ignorant attitudes. He’s got his head screwed on pretty tight and his stories are often about, well, learning things.
Hill is Taiwanese-Canadian and there is some cultural humour laced into a routine that fixates most on family. His wife, brother, and parents figure prominently. He dips a little into experiences of racism, seems somewhat baffled by it, almost dismisses it as incongruous with his inclusive worldview.
I didn’t laugh out loud very much, but that’s really a me thing. Stand-up, even when I find it exceptionally amusing, rarely gets a huge rise out of me. Especially if I don’t know anyone around me. Experiencing stand-up with someone who gets me, tends to alter the experience significantly. Otherwise, I mostly smile and chuckle to myself.
A touching aspect of Hill’s act is a focus on the women in his life. His mother and grandmother specifically get shouted out as the most impressive embodiments of human strength in his life. And though on the surface it might sound sort of trite, his overall message of love as a connective force rings true.