Chicago comedians keep crowd in stitches at BSU Comedy Jam
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The Kirkhof Center’s Grand River Room filled with roaring laughter during Friday night’s Comedy Jam, hosted by the Grand Valley State University Black Student Union. This year, the BSU event featured Chicago comedians Ray Lapowski and headliner Damon Williams.
Diversity played a starring role in the comedians’ act, their jokes reflecting the differences in culture between races.
“White is ‘plain Jane’ while black people are over the top,” Lapowski said as the comedians walked the thin line between too funny and too far.
“I don’t tell jokes,” Lapowski said, warning the audience at the beginning of his set not too take anything he said on stage too personally. “I tell the truth.”
From picking on audience members to picking on the whole group, he kept the crowd engaged as he told stories about being a white man that married into a black family, sticking too the old mantra that “it’s funny because it’s true” through tall tales of drugs, “stupid people doing stupid things,” and public bathroom etiquette.
Lapowski joked about the misuse of “swear words,” and taught the audience how to steal candy; which, for the record, is as easy as “Head down, stay low. No face, no case; look away from the camera,” for future reference.
And though Lapowski’s set was mostly light-hearted, he left the audience with words of wisdom: “It’s far more important to know who your friends aren’t than who they are. People make time for the people they want to make time for.”
Between comedians, hosts gave brief histories of other famous comedians, like Katt Williams, and how comedy has come to be what it is today – a field that is always changing and evolving.
Damon Williams hit the stage dancing, greeted by a cheering audience that danced along with the headliner as hip-hop blared through the speakers.
“I believe you should laugh every chance you get,” Williams told the audience.
Williams quickly switched back and forth between topics, talking about everything from the not-so-fashionable trend of leggings to the ever-increasing deadliness of the world around us.
He joked about social media, the autocorrect feature on smartphones, and Facebook user names.
In his opinion, it’s always best to keep it classic.
“Don’t put your whole life philosophy as your middle name,” Williams said.
Williams’ high energy narratives didn’t stop with hi jokes, but continued in the lapses between, where he sang a little bit of gospel and R&B samples that had spectators singing along and dancing out of their seats.
“At first I was apprehensive but as soon as the first comedian came on stage, I spent the rest of the night laughing,” said audience member Julia Stavale.
rmclaughlin@lanthorn.com
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Pictures of the Year 2012-2013
Courtesy Photo/Joe Kargula and Erik Peterson run the Marathon leg of the Ironman Triathlon
GVL / Robert Mathews Quarterback Heath Parling (12) leading the offense past Notre Dame College.
GVL / Eric Coulter Senior Jake Isaacson placed eigth in the Spartan Invitational. Isaacson's time of 25:04 was the highest among Division II athletes.
GVL/Jessica Hollenbeck Student Senate President Jack Iott speaks to the assembly during Thursday's meeting.
Courtesy / gvsu.edu President Haas and Montcalm Community College President Robert C. Ferrentino sign the transfer agreement
Courtesy Photo/ GVSU Athletic Department Sophomore Chris Cunningham lines up a putt at a past match.
Courtesy Photo / GVSULakers.com Andrew Darrell prepares to return the serve earlier this season.
GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck President Haas cooks pancakes during Family Weekend's "Pancakes with Presidents".
GVL / Jessica Hollenbeck President Haas cooks pancakes during Family Weekend's "Pancakes with Presidents".
GVL / Archive Forward Briauna Taylor (31) chases down a lose ball in a game last season
Courtesy Photo / Dean Breest Sophomore Allyson Winchester was named the GLIAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year after finishing first with a time of 20:48.8.
GVL / Archive GVSU's Breland Hogan rises and fires over three defenders last season.
GVL/Bo Anderson Briauna Taylor leads the fast break during a game earlier this season.
GVL / Robert Mathews Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning, James Moyer, leading a walk through of the Mary Ideam Pew Library
Courtesy Photo / GVSU DII Men's Hockey Jeremy Christopher chases down a puck during a matchup last season.
GVL / Bo Anderson Students and faculty danced under the spectacular light show in the Devos Place Ballroom
GVL / Robert Mathews Martin L�wenberg, holocaust survivor, speaking at the Genocide Awareness Night presentation in the Grand River Room.
Courtesy / Dean Breest Senior Sam Lockhart finishes her indoor career with two individual national championships in weight throw and shot put at the 2013 National Championships.
Archive / Robert Mathews Giancarlo Brugnoni (40) rounding the bases during a previous game.
GVL/Bo Anderson Seniors Christ Koppenaal, Bill Madsen, and Mitch Weber measure the exterior of the Wesley House as part of an energy audit.
GVL / Robert Mathews Senior Anthony Campanella pitching against Tiffin University during the Lakers double header.
GVL / Eric Coulter Brother Jed Smock, a member of Campus Ministry USA, speaks with fervor to a student. Many students, all with differing views, came to watch the Campus Ministry members speak.
GVL / Sean Mouton A passing walker stops to admire some recently constructed pieces of Art Prize 2012.
GVL Archive Senior Nick Gunthorpe follows through and watches his shot at the Ardenson last year. This weekend the team will be playing in South Haven.
GVL / Bo Anderson GVSU's Katie Martin points to her teammate after safely reaching second base.
GVL / Robert Mathews Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons under construction.
GVL / Archive The Grand Valley Rowing Team during Spring Training in Florida last spring.
GVL / Robert Mathews Judge Glenda Hatchett, keynote guest for Monday's King celebration, speaks in the Grand River Room in Kirkhof.
GVL / Robert Mathews Judge Glenda Hatchett, keynote guest for Monday's King celebration, speaks in the Grand River Room in Kirkhof.
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