X-rated jokes and personal pokes

By Lisa Henderson
hendersonl@theridernews.com 

For lovers of all things crude and crazy, Monday night’s stand-up comedy show featuring Jeff Ross and Big Jay Oakerson was probably an all-around hit. For others who aren’t as partial to raunchy sexual banter, this show may not have been as enjoyable. Regardless, the event, hosted by the Student Entertainment Council, was an obvious success as both stage-veterans performed for a full house in the Bart Luedeke Center’s Cavalla Room at 10 p.m.

The night began with an introduction for Oakerson as the opening act. This long-haired, boisterous Jersey-born guy has been featured on Comedy Central Presents, BET’S ComicView and P. Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy documentary show. Oakerson frequently used sex as the focal point for his jokes; his entire act was full of coarse sexual stories and innuendos. Though most of the audience was in stitches, some were not impressed and were put off by Oakerson’s style.

“I thought [he] was incredibly vulgar and offensive,” junior Ryan Stibich said.

Jeff Ross, who has been featured on Comedy Central Roasts, MTV’s Wild ‘N Out and HBO’s series Six Feet Under, followed up with a long and witty performance. He was bit less dirty than Oakerson, but not by much, and the audience was once again bombarded with a slew of sex-driven jokes. Ross spiced up his performance by playing the guitar for a portion of it, which comically emphasized his words.

Ross made a point of interacting with the audience by frequently choosing volunteers. He selected a student from the audience to play a jazzy piano interlude as he read original hilarious “poems.” Toward the end of his act, Ross invited 10 students onto the stage to participate in a roast, during which he, with Oakerson’s assistance, publically humiliated each student based on their looks and mannerisms, but the segment was all in good fun. The audience reacted with booming laughter at seeing classmates as the butt of each joke. Ross and Oakerson made for an interesting team when paired and generated mixed reviews.

“I thought Big Jay was super vulgar, but still hilarious,” sophomore Katie Callaghan said. “Jeff Ross should stick to roasting. He’s funny, but relies on joking at other people’s expenses.”

Overall, Oakerson and Ross succeeded in treating Rider students to a night of laughs amid the stressful near-end-of-semester hustle and bustle.