Datebook: Thursday, December 14th ~ 2006
I know it is early, but I am inviting all of you to the Mombo Comedy Club to be held on Saturday night at the conclusion of the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships-location to be announced. It’s not just that I think we are all going to need something to laugh about at that time. It is because I think we all need to find something to laugh about some of the time.
And to prove, contrary to the opinions of 143 senior high school students, that I do know what is funny.
As I have mentioned, I am an instructor in the art of the English language. My students are currently savoring the flavor of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twelfth Night. As we all know, Shakespeare had quite the flair with a quill and was very clever with the pun and unusual word order. He was, in fact, the master of wordplay, repartee, and double entendre, which is fast becoming a lost art form.
My students didn’t get it when I could not suppress a chuckle over “They have been grand-juryman since before Noah was a sailor”.
They didn’t even smile.
“Mrs. M”, they said, “You really have to get out more.”
I could have taken offense and answered them in their own lingo, the anti-Shake as I call it.
“Don’t get all up in my grill, that ain’t how I roll!” But, I didn’t.
I could have defended my comedic gauge by quoting from the masters of contemporary humor—Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell. Or a few from the old school, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Bill Cosby. But I didn’t.
Instead, the echoes of a song I heard in line at a German airport came wafting through my brain. It was the rendition of a Saturday Night Live skit, recreated to a 5:30 am crowd of travelers waiting in line for the lone ticket agent at an antiquated check-in desk.
“Robert Goulet……Robert Goulet….” The melodious voice belting out the lyrics was none other than that of John Coughlin, Junior pairs skater and comedian who entertained the thousands in the crowd and frightened the non-savvy who suspected the flight was being used to transport “special” people.
Hence, the birth of the plan! (Sorry about the Shakespeare slip-ins).
We have so much talent in figure skating, why not recognize those in the sport that know how to rattle the ribs with laughter, the ones that make you shoot Pepsi from your nose if you are in mid-drink, the ones who should hand out Depends as a precaution to anyone in their company for more than five minutes.
The Mombo Comedy Club will issue invitations to the several skaters; some are not ice-dancers so we will have to entice them to journey to northern New York in August for an opportunity to regale us with their mirth.
These will be the headliners and since you may not know all of them, I will offer small bios of their typical genre of humor:
Adam Rippon- (Junior Men)- Perhaps the funniest person alive. Boy of a hundred thousand faces and expressions. Adam has razor wit and is cleverly insightful and capable of inciting a laughing riot.
John Coughlin- (Junior Pairs)-The Manly Man boy from Kansas who can still tear up for Michelle Kwan’s Field of Dreams number yet reduce any waiting room to sobs of laughter and “Make him stop, Make him stop.”
Travis Mager- (Intermediate Dance)- Has a way with words that is only enhanced by his rendition of “Let’s Bring Sexy Back”.
Chase Fishpaw-(Junior Dance). The guy with a thousand disguises—from size 6x Ninja Turtle pajamas to a business suit with legwarmers.
Kate Slattery- (Senior Dance) Kate is so natural, she doesn’t even know she is funny. I was sitting behind her on a bus when she was doing her “dog bites” and “You could order Model T’s in any color but they only came in black” routines. Your sides will hurt.
Brad Coulter-(Junior Dance) He is just funny and he has this HUGE smile that makes you happy before he talks.
So, we only have five names on the marquee right now, but I know all of you have someone that has gone under the comedy radar to the masses. Send in their names and we’ll add them to the list of invitees.
I know you expect me to end with a Shakespearian quote so I won’t let you down, and I might add, I found one that sounds as if the mighty Bard would have supported our comedy fest:
“Now is the winter of our discontent; made glorious summer by this sun of (New)York.”
RSVP by July 25th.
Mombo
And to prove, contrary to the opinions of 143 senior high school students, that I do know what is funny.
As I have mentioned, I am an instructor in the art of the English language. My students are currently savoring the flavor of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Twelfth Night. As we all know, Shakespeare had quite the flair with a quill and was very clever with the pun and unusual word order. He was, in fact, the master of wordplay, repartee, and double entendre, which is fast becoming a lost art form.My students didn’t get it when I could not suppress a chuckle over “They have been grand-juryman since before Noah was a sailor”.
They didn’t even smile.
“Mrs. M”, they said, “You really have to get out more.”
I could have taken offense and answered them in their own lingo, the anti-Shake as I call it.
“Don’t get all up in my grill, that ain’t how I roll!” But, I didn’t.
I could have defended my comedic gauge by quoting from the masters of contemporary humor—Chris Rock, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell. Or a few from the old school, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Bill Cosby. But I didn’t.
Instead, the echoes of a song I heard in line at a German airport came wafting through my brain. It was the rendition of a Saturday Night Live skit, recreated to a 5:30 am crowd of travelers waiting in line for the lone ticket agent at an antiquated check-in desk.
“Robert Goulet……Robert Goulet….” The melodious voice belting out the lyrics was none other than that of John Coughlin, Junior pairs skater and comedian who entertained the thousands in the crowd and frightened the non-savvy who suspected the flight was being used to transport “special” people.
Hence, the birth of the plan! (Sorry about the Shakespeare slip-ins).
We have so much talent in figure skating, why not recognize those in the sport that know how to rattle the ribs with laughter, the ones that make you shoot Pepsi from your nose if you are in mid-drink, the ones who should hand out Depends as a precaution to anyone in their company for more than five minutes.
The Mombo Comedy Club will issue invitations to the several skaters; some are not ice-dancers so we will have to entice them to journey to northern New York in August for an opportunity to regale us with their mirth.These will be the headliners and since you may not know all of them, I will offer small bios of their typical genre of humor:
Adam Rippon- (Junior Men)- Perhaps the funniest person alive. Boy of a hundred thousand faces and expressions. Adam has razor wit and is cleverly insightful and capable of inciting a laughing riot.
John Coughlin- (Junior Pairs)-The Manly Man boy from Kansas who can still tear up for Michelle Kwan’s Field of Dreams number yet reduce any waiting room to sobs of laughter and “Make him stop, Make him stop.”
Travis Mager- (Intermediate Dance)- Has a way with words that is only enhanced by his rendition of “Let’s Bring Sexy Back”.
Chase Fishpaw-(Junior Dance). The guy with a thousand disguises—from size 6x Ninja Turtle pajamas to a business suit with legwarmers.
Kate Slattery- (Senior Dance) Kate is so natural, she doesn’t even know she is funny. I was sitting behind her on a bus when she was doing her “dog bites” and “You could order Model T’s in any color but they only came in black” routines. Your sides will hurt.
Brad Coulter-(Junior Dance) He is just funny and he has this HUGE smile that makes you happy before he talks.
So, we only have five names on the marquee right now, but I know all of you have someone that has gone under the comedy radar to the masses. Send in their names and we’ll add them to the list of invitees.
I know you expect me to end with a Shakespearian quote so I won’t let you down, and I might add, I found one that sounds as if the mighty Bard would have supported our comedy fest:
“Now is the winter of our discontent; made glorious summer by this sun of (New)York.”
RSVP by July 25th.
Mombo
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