“Thank you for not going to Odesza,” said Joe Glasgow when he took the mic for his stand up performance at the Global Scholars Hall on Tuesday night. “Fuck Odesza.”
Glasgow performed as part of the second annual “Hilarity for Charity,” a collaboration between the UO Stand-Up Society and local comedy radio station All Comedy 1450 as part of a national campaign started by comedian Seth Rogan to fundraise for Alzheimer’s.
Glasgow, president and co-founder of the UO Stand-Up Society, says that the turnout was lower than expected – he estimated turnout around 140 people – which he chalked up to competing events (yes, Odesza). Nonetheless, the event raised almost $1700 for the fight against Alzheimer’s – $500 more than it did last year.
The two-hour show was a mix of independent stand-up sets and performances from the UO’s Absolute Improv club. Jokes about sex, relationships and genetalia were an obvious and unwritten theme of the show – but each performer set themselves apart through unique material, from the horrors of people food:
“People food is fucked up. Dogs eat shit – but if you give them people food, they’ll die,” said Halden Hoodenpyl. “I think it’s time we take a look at that.”
To the sex appeal of Hillary Clinton:
“She’s such a badass – I bet she literally fucks the patriarchy, but on top and in leather,” said Adair Creach.
Or through literal song and dance (think Lilly Allen meets rap and grown men dancing like Beyonce in maternity pants).
Another highlight of this year’s show was a “Douchey Mirror Pic” competition where audience members got to pick the most obnoxious mirror selfie of three finalists. The $100 prize for best photo went to Henry Cromett, a journalism student, who submitted a photo of himself sitting on the toilet, sporting a sombrero and an american flag bro-tank, with the camera strategically placed in front of his crotch.
“I’ve been practicing my douchiness for years,” Cromett said after the show, zipping up his purple, teal and pink windbreaker. “People used to tell me in high school, ‘Henry, you’re such a douche.’ I knew it would pay off one day.”
And he only plans on moving up.
“Professional douchebag,” he answered when asked about his dream job. “Wait, no – white rapper. What else would I be?”
Grace Hashiguchi, a freshman who says she came to the performance to determine if she might be interested in improv, says the evening convinced her to keep an eye out for future comedy shows.
“There’s such a good energy,” Hashiguchi said afterward.
For friend Hayden Garratt, it was more about a sense of duty. Garratt says he saw one of the performers handing out flyers for the event in a Batman costume and he just knew:
“It was justice,” Garratt said. “I had to follow my hero.”