HI Sucks and So Can You

It’s okay, I know you’re thinking it, we all are.  We just don’t dare say it out loud.  It’s the dirty little secret of forensics these last few years.  What am I talking about?  HI and how horrible it has become!

I know you’re sitting there thinking, “But HI is funny!”  You’re wrong.  HI is currently about as funny as watching me write this article. (Ed. Note – I’m just sitting here, hitting keys.  Nothing funny to see here)  So, what happened?  Was HI ever funny?  And if it was, where has all the funny gone?

The short answer: The funny has been misplaced.

The longer answer: HI’ers have been copying one particular style for so long that they’ve forgotten the most important style: their own!  Maybe they should read my article on doing what you know.

So who is to blame for this homogenization?  Well, the competitors are!  The people who originated the currently popular style – where every character is either overly manic or an impression of a celebrity – (Most notably, Nathan Rarick) were simply performing in their own style.  You can’t blame someone for performing in their own style…well, I can’t anyway.

The problem appeared when more and more people who emulated this style kept finalling, leading to fewer and fewer styles to see, as people then emulated those people.  This caused most competitors to believe this was the only style they could perform in.  That is simply not true.

Last year, Sealed For Freshness proved that a simple, solid piece can beat out any piece that relies on insane, blippy characters to make up for its weak cutting.  That isn’t to say that you should all start performing simple, character-driven pieces. Instead, you should figure out what makes you funny.  Then cut, block, and perform your piece in a way that enhances your style, whatever that happens to be.

All that said, and HI bashing aside, now is the perfect time to get into HI.  With everyone performing in nearly the exact same way, if you come along and perform in your own style (and do it well), you’ll stand out as easily as a Duo in an Extemp round.  As a former HI’er myself, I want to see it return to its former glory.

All it takes is a few people to take the leap, and soon everyone will begin to start doing their own thing again.  Then and only then will HI be as competitive as it once was.

And if you still don’t believe me, grab the NFL final tape from 2004 and compare it with 2009’s…if you still can’t see what I’m talking about, then feel free to perform in any style you wish.  As for the rest of you, I hope it will inspire you to not just change your style to one that suits you better, but also change the entire event for the better.

So, what do you think.  What style are you personally a fan of?  What do you wish you saw more of in HI?

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