Bill Burr is not for everybody, but here I’m hoping to shed light on why you should appreciate him a little bit more. He has gained some mainstream success in the last decade – for his roles in Breaking Bad, F is for Family, and his Monday Morning Podcast. He is sometimes described as a “comedian’s comedian,” meaning he’s acquired the respect by his peers for his comedic technique and craft. Let’s take a closer look at the kinds of techniques he employs and executes as a comedian.

First: a brief background. Bill Burr attributes his comedic technique to his tenure at the Comedy Cellar, a comedy club in Manhattan where many of the top New York comedians gathered. Here, he claimed, his fellow comedians (like Kevin Hart, Patrice O’Neal, Jim Norton, Rich Vos) harshly critiqued each other for hackneyed and cliché material – making each other sharper and better comedians – like a sort of peer review process. Moreover, Bill Burr performed all over America for a variety of crowds, and this made him into the comedian he is today.

Next: comedic style or comedic voice. The first impression you’d probably get is an angry Bostonian – the typical, dummy bro-dude with a fed-up, old man energy. He rants about a variety of subjects, including sports, relationships, and politics. Notably, he is honest and genuine, and he explores topics he is interested in or passionate about. This ethos of anger and authenticity is something we can all relate to.

Now, most importantly: comedic technique. Let us put aside the general principles of comedy (for now) and focus on what Bill Burr does really well. He can manipulate the audience’s emotions and reactions – first you’re against him and then you’re with him all the way.

More specifically, Bill Burr starts with a ridiculous or controversial premise that gets everybody’s attention – he creates and builds up tension. The audience is uncomfortable and wondering what will happen next. Next, he explains in an exaggerated or self-deprecating way (admitting his ignorance), and the audience joins in on the absurdity and they’re back on his side. He keeps pushing (adding tags), and the audience relates to his perspective and connects with his humor. First the crowd is against him, and then he triumphantly gets them on his side; rinse and repeat. He’s playing tug-of-way with the audience, the up and down, like a roller-coaster, making for a fun and entertaining ride.

What makes Bill Burr so special is that under all the sarcasm and mocking is a unique message. He has a specific point of view which he draws from instead of some vacuous cynicism, and you get to see the world from his perspective. Authors, musicians, movie writers, and Youtubers all try to communicate their point of view and how they see the world. Bill Burr effectively conveys his anger, confusion, and bitterness towards the subjects he covers. Even if you don’t agree with him, even if you know his facts are off, you see where he’s coming from and you empathize and connect with him. In this, he challenges you, changes you slightly, and gives you a new way to looking at the same old subject.