Harvard Tries Hilarity
It’s April Fools’, so you’re probably effortlessly pulling witty pranks on all your friends. April Fools! If you’re stuck with lame jokes and comedian’s block, FM is here to help. Here, six of Harvard’s premier comedy groups give their advice on never-fail knee-slappers and a taste of their own senses of humor. They were asked the same three questions—whether they are improv sketch aficionados or aspiring Daily Show writers—so pick out your favorite or try and glean some insight from the different groups’ senses of humor. Because sometimes, Knock-Knock jokes just don’t cut it.
David T. Tao ’11, Head Writer, Respectably French
Fifteen Minutes: What’s the best prank or joke you’ve ever done as a group?
David: We just did one video, “The endless corridor,” which was our first one this semester. We’re pretty proud of it. It’s a video, not a prank, but you could say it’s a satirical yet informative look at the ramifications of underfunded police bureaus.
FM: If you’re doing a show and I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
David: We usually revert to guns. Guns are always funny,
FM: Finish this sentence: Take my advice—never...
David: Get involved with a video that goes on the Internet because it’s there forever, and they’ll trace it back to you.
Christopher C. Liberge ’12, Executive Producer, Harvard Hooligans
FM: What’s the best prank or joke you’ve ever done as a group?
Chris: Well, I can’t speak for the group, but most of them were in on it. Six months ago, I was driving with friends, and they had satellite radio. So they were listening to Playboy Radio, which had an advice show playing, so I thought, “Why not call in and try to get through?” So I got through, and pretended to have girlfriend who wanted to do some pretty unnecessary things to me. Eventually they figured out I was pulling their leg, and I got kicked off the air.
FM: If you’re doing a show and I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
Chris: Kick someone in nuts. No matter what’s wrong, if it’s highbrow, lowbrow, or satire—if you’re not getting laughs, you’ve got to resort to kicking a guy in the nuts.
FM: Finish this sentence: Take my advice—never...
Chris: Volunteer your grandmother as a crossing guard. Oh, and I should probably mention that she’s blind.
Scott A. Levin-Gesundheit ’11, Czar, Immediate Gratification Players (IGP):
FM: What’s the best prank or joke you’ve ever done as a group?
Scott: We don’t do tend to do pranks because we are nice people, but IGP is officially registered with University Hall as “Investment Government Politics,” and that’s how we put it on our resumes. Also, every member of IGP is an “analyst.”
FM: If you’re doing a show and I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
Scott: You’re not laughing? Did you walk into the wrong room? I would leave and find an IGP show.
FM: Take my advice—never...
Scott: ...Dance like no one is watching, sing like no one is listening, and love like you’ve never been hurt. Those are all really bad ideas.
Ryan P. Halprin ’12, The Guy Who Runs With a Backpack, On Thin Ice (OTI)
FM: What’s the best prank or joke you’ve ever done as a group?
Ryan: We teepeed a freshman dorm once.
FM: If you’re doing a show and I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
Ryan: If you are in the audience and not laughing and we notice, we will come get you and bring you on-stage and in front of everyone we will sing you Hall and Oates. And then five minutes later if you’re still not laughing, we’ll kindly ask you to leave.
FM: Take my advice—never...
Ryan: Eat baby carrots.
Alexandra A. Petri ‘10, Co-President, Harvard College Stand-Up Comic Society (HC SUCS)
FM: What’s the best prank or joke you’ve ever done as a group?
AAP: One time we got one of our members on the Harvard Lampoon. We got him to the comping process and now he’s a member. I guess that’s an accomplishment or whatever.
FM: If you’re doing a show and I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
AAP: Well, we usually have someone who comes and removes you with a crane, or we pelt you with rocks, or we put Pete Davis up. Pete Davis is consistently funny. One of those three things.
FM: Finish this sentence: Take my advice—never...
AAP: Never try to put more watermelons under your arm than you have arm room.
Jeremy Patashnik ’12, Amy Rosenthal ’11, and Scott H. Reed ’12, Executive Editors, Satire V
FM: What’s the best prank you’ve ever done as a group?
Satire V: The best prank I can think of recently was a while ago we printed out coupons for a free burrito and distributed them at the prefrosh activities fair. The only problem was the coupons were good at Bob Slate, so we had a whole line of prefrosh trying to get free burritos from a stationery store. They were pretty confused, and it was pretty hilarious.
FM: If I’m not laughing, what’s your back up? How do you make me laugh?
Satire V: Well, since we don’t do shows if you don’t find us funny, you can just stop reading us; we don’t have to be embarrassed in person.
FM: Take my advice—never...
Satire V: Take our advice, never take advice from comedy groups.
FM: What’s your punch line? What’s your gimmick?
Satire V: Satire V is actually “Veritas” spelled backwards. Our motto is “Holding a mirror up to the truth” and we like to think that our satire—on occasion—is more than just a cheap laugh. The underlying goal is to uncover some underlying comedic irony about this crazy world we’re living in.