Click HERE to watch the video.

Commit to the Bit: Emceeing the National Speakers Association Annual Meeting

What It Means to “Commit to the Bit” in Comedy and Speaking

My good friend Jess Pettitt and I were honored to emcee the National Speakers Association (NSA) annual meeting. We spent four days in front of nearly 1,500 of the best professional speakers who make their living through keynotes, workshops, and Master of Ceremonies work, just like Jess and me.

Why Presenting to Peers Requires Perfection

It was an exciting opportunity because when you’re presenting to your professional peers, there’s nowhere to hide. Everyone in the audience knows exactly what you’re doing, and if something goes wrong, they know that too. As the old kindergarten taunt goes, “It takes one to know one.”

Why Jess and I Were a Perfect Emcee Team

Besides experience and stage skills, pairing Jess and me at the conference made sense for a few reasons.

Years of Friendship Create Natural Chemistry

First, we’ve been very good friends for many years. That meant we could almost finish each other’s sentences and have natural chemistry on stage.

Jess’s Detail-Oriented Approach Saved the Day

Second, Jess is crazy, psycho, detail-oriented, always knowing where we were supposed to be and what we were doing next. This attention to detail allowed me to focus on the funny bits without getting distracted by those pesky facts and figures.

Our Visual Contrast Added to the Stage Dynamic

Finally, we look very different on stage. Jess represents a community not seen on major stages often enough, while at first glance I might appear to be your typical “male, pale, and stale” presenter. Also, my wardrobe looks like it belongs to an OCD colorblind Scandinavian architect while Jess dresses like a rabid adolescent raccoon on meth – even her hair was purple.

The Challenge: Emceeing Solo on the Last Day

Everything was going great until the last day when Jess had to leave to give a prestigious keynote in another city, meaning I would be doing our emcee gig solo. That wasn’t so bad, but I wanted to maintain our energy on stage while honoring Jess and her outstanding work.

The Key to Success: Commit to the Bit

To achieve this, we called on a comedic technique known as “commit to the bit.” This technique involves fully embracing a joke or concept, no matter how absurd, and never breaking character.

Examples of Committing to the Bit in Popular Culture

To illustrate this concept, here are a couple of examples you might be familiar with:

Borat: Sacha Baron Cohen’s Dedication to His Character

In interviews and public appearances, Sacha Baron Cohen fully commits to his outrageous Borat persona, even in the most awkward situations.

The Office: Steve Carell’s Unwavering Performance as Michael Scott

Steve Carell’s portrayal of Michael Scott in The Office is filled with cringeworthy moments. Still, his unwavering commitment to the character’s awkward cluelessness made the comedy brilliant.

How Mechanical Devices Help Commit to the Bit

Committing to the bit doesn’t always depend on acting skills. Sometimes, mechanical devices can help make the gag even funnier.

Dr. Strangelove: The Wheelchair Scene

In Dr. Strangelove, Peter Sellers used a wheelchair but had spastic, uncontrollable arm movements, which created absurdly hilarious situations.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: The Epic Light Show

In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Chevy Chase made an insanely massive light show seem like just another holiday display, committing fully to the bit.

Watch My Performance: Did I Commit to the Bit?

So, how well did I commit to the bit on day four? Click HERE to watch and judge for yourself. Before you do, I can tell you two things:

The Verdict

I believe I did commit to the bit.

I clearly have no shame.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.