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'Tonight's' host-to-be tickles IU's funny bone
Leno pokes fun at barf bags, Kennedy’s pants
By Aimee Miller
Indiana Daily Student
Jay Leno entertained a crowd at a nearly sold-out IU Auditorium for nearly two hours Friday night, telling jokes about everything from Dan Quayle to the television show “Studs.”
Leno’s humor worked because he joked about things everyone could relate to. He was not afraid to admit that he does embarrassing things (for example, when his mother needed dinner napkins immediately for a party, he ran to the store and said, “My mother needs some napkins, it’s an emergency”).
Leno began with typical “Tonight Show” material. He told jokes about Pee Wee Herman (“It would’ve bothered me more if he’d have been talking during the movie. How does a guy who looks like Pee Wee get into adult theatres, anyway?”) and about how Ten Kennedy might have the Democratic nomination in his pocket (“Now if he could just find his pants.”).
Most of Leno’s jokes poked fun at American culture: advertisements, movies and fast food. He wondered about a condom display in the checkout line (“Are condoms an impulse buy? ‘Gee, I hadn’t thought about having sex. Now that sounds like a lot of fun.’ ”). He also took a jab at Dom DeLuise’s Glad-Lock Bags commercial (“ ‘I can’t sleep because I’m dreaming about the leftovers in my fridge.’ How many people really believe Dom has leftovers?”).
Airplane and automobile companies were also fair game in Leno’s routine. He satirized a brochure’s claim that the airline served “ ‘food as good as in a fine restaurant.’ How come when I eat in a fine restaurant, there aren’t barf bags in front of me?” He also commented on Delta Airlines’ “Frequent Survivor Program” and Yugo’s new anti-theft device – “they made the name bigger.”
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A series of anecdotes about Leno’s 80-year-old parents was perhaps the most amusing part of the show. He poked fun at his father’s idiosyncrasies, such as his propensity to “write angry letters to major companies” and his refusal to wear a hearing aid (“When I go to visit my parents, I can hear their television five blocks away. It’s like heavy-metal ‘Matlock.’ “). He also joked about his parents’ thriftiness and their suspicion about “new” technology (such as the remote control).
Leno’s routine included a short segment during which he put the listeners on the hot seat, asking them questions and making jokes about the answers. This exposed Leno’s talent as a quick-thinking comedian. After one student said he was political science major, Leno asked. “Don’t you have to have a criminal justice minor for that?”
