By Michael Fordham
Comedian Michael Ian Black is known for a variety of roles. He was part of the comedy troupes Stella and The State, a featured commentator on VH1’s I Love The… specials, and he played parts in the television show Ed and the film Wet Hot American Summer. His current gig is a series of commercials for Sierra Mist. However, when Black came to the University, last week, he did something he’s not primarily known for – stand-up. Black’s performance at the Monroe Lecture Center was a subdued affair. His signature wry, dry, and at times, self-deprecating humor made for consistent laughs and chuckles. Still, Black was able to successfully play to a college audience (according to his calculations, his target audience is “females seventeen to nineteen-and-a-half”). His humor ran from the ribald (offering to perform cunnilingus on the audience) to the intelligent (how toaster pizza is a sign of the end of the world) to the downright silly (goofily imitating how to walk a campus quad). It shouldn’t come as a shock that Black would utter a bon mot like, “I’m already going to hell – why fly coach?”The majority of the performance focused on Black’s upbringing in suburban New Jersey. He cleverly poked fun at his rough childhood and high school tenure, choosing not to attack the past but to let the audience understand the subtle humor. Typical of more intelligent comedians, Black utilized self-deprecation (referring to his status as a C-list celebrity and his non-existent film career). This status may be threatened comedian before long, as the comedian also discussed a mini-reunion of The State in the upcoming film Reno 911: Miami. Also, an Ed DVD may be on the way. Unfortunately, it seems there’s no chance of one being released for the The State, the brilliant MTV sketch comedy show that started Black’s career.