Now that's what I call comedy

From the time of togas to sex jokes, college humor has definitely changed over the years: yet the same basic principles remain intact: good timing and material and, of course, the laughs. No longer popular is the art of pie-in-the face mimes, clowns, slapstick and vaudeville acts found in the previous century’s The Three Stooges or Abbott and Costello. Comedy geared toward college audiences aims to criticize, satirize and parody the social norms of our society and government, while still drawing material from the flaws within ourselves. As the times shift to more liberal ideas and expressions, college humor is the open forum for expressing thoughts and ideas that can reach multitudes of audiences.

Comedy means “bringing the funny,” Sara Hess, IU junior and member of HoosOn First said.

“We’re vulgar and racy in college,” she said. “It’s the kind of shit you think of with your friends — nasty, painful and just plain wrong. It’s funnier to watch someone else get the joke pulled on them than yourself.”

Both IU and Bloomington are home to numerous comedy organizations and venues. Three of IU’s student comedy groups, Full Frontal Comedy, HoosOn First and Awkward Silence Comedy, amuse audiences weekly during the school year in the Indiana Memorial Union with their quick-witted improvisational skills.

“In improv there is no material. Life is your material. Everything is made up on the spot and you can take anything from that point on and use it in a show,” Brian Frange, IU alumnus and founder of Awkward Silence said.

The Indiana Memorial Union’s Union Board allows for the troupes to have a place to channel their creativity. With the troupes’ passion to perform, most shows generally draw in crowds of 100, but professional troupes such as the Second City or the Upright Citizens Brigade can reach as high as 400 to 500 people.

“It is important that Union Board provides a regular alternative to partying on a weekend,” Anne Kostyo, director of comedy at the IMU said. Yet, enjoying the show versus going to the bars does not take away from the college experience.

As comedy becomes a mockery of reality, college becomes the butt of its own joke.
“The entire concept of college is pretty humorous in itself,” Meg Elliott, member of Full Frontal Comedy said. “College humor sets the curve for where humor is going. Most comedies (movies or TV), especially new ones, are geared toward the college crowd. I really feel what we do here can influence what goes on with those who really know what they are doing with this.”

With movies such as “Van Wilder,” “Road Trip” and the immortal “Animal House,” could there really a sub-genre immerging purely for college-aged students?
Steve Hofstetter, author, columnist and one of the top-booked acts on the college circuit has also shared in the college experience. Touring more than 100 colleges and dozens of clubs, he falls second on the Web, just behind danecook.com, for stand-up acts.

“That’s a pretty prejudiced concept,” Hofstetter said about college humor. “There are good and bad people and smart and dumb people of every age, in every location. Beyond that, college students are no different than anyone else.”

Since comedy is still primarily based on reality, certain topics can still provoke a few chuckles or shock and appall audiences.

Frange noted that people laugh at different things based on their personalities and ages.

“If you’re 48 and married with three kids, you’ll laugh at the different things than when you’re 22 and a senior in college. It’s not about people’s senses of humors changing. It’s that what they see as true, their view and their experiences are changing.”

Dan Gurewitch, writer for collegehumor.com’s video series, thinks that comedy directed toward college students is vaguely similar to any type of comedy.

“When it comes to what college students find funny, I think it’s the same as what anyone finds funny: comedy that surprises them with the unique or twisted approach to a situation, or to an experience or truth that they can relate to,” he said.

To attract the Web site’s six million monthly visitors monthly, Gurewitch says the site features comedic viral videos that are short, understandable, relatable and filled with “laugh-out-loud moments” from the start. Most videos parody or satirize pop-culture events and common life experiences, he said.

Although many college students share the same experiences and obligations that come with attending a college or university, they shouldn’t all be lumped together, Frange said.

“All college students go to class, go to parties, deal with the Greek system in some way, have lived in dorms and deal with people who do or personally consume a lot of alcohol,” he said. “These are all things a college audience would relate to.”
As professional and the up-and-coming comedians of Full Frontal Comedy, HoosOn First and Awkward Silence continue to expand the subjective realm of humor and reality, one can only ask the professional: where do you see comedy heading in the future?

“Everything is changing, but that’s more of a deep philosophical question. If you’re asking where I think comedy is headed, it’s getting a bit smarter, more refined,” Hofstetter said. “That will last a few years, and then the fart jokes will take hold again ... the world moves in cycles, and comedy is no different.”