Monday, January 14, 2013

Bill Cosby

In a contemporary comedy landscape where performers rely on shock or obscenity for laughs, the septuagenarian Bill Cosby inspires hope in the simple power of a story. On Saturday, January 12 at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium, Cosby related stories ranging from gender differences in Genesis to his skepticism on patients self-medicating marijuana, eventually touching on the mutually insulting names of characters in the Lone Ranger television series. Simply put, Cosby didn't disappoint in a scattered show marked by superior storytelling.

Cosby demonstrated that stand-up comedy is fundamentally social storytelling--walking into an auditorium of strangers and creating laughs inorganically. It requires the comedian to instantly form a rapport with the audience and connect personal observations with the audience's diverse experiences. Perhaps the most adept skill Cosby displayed was his nuanced reading of a mostly older audience who brought young children. His material was offensive to none while humorous for all, particularly his observations on family dynamics that cut across socioeconomic lines. Reading a room is no easy task, and even at 75-years-old, Bill Cosby is still one of the best in the business.

Unfortunately, Cosby showed signs that he's aging. At times he would begin a story, or at least signal a shift in comedic material, without following through. He spent the entire performance seated in a folding chair, which is in stark contrast to some of his earlier and more active stand-up comedy specials. But it's certainly not unreasonable for a senior citizen to want to spend the better part of 90 minutes seated, and as a 22-year-old who occasionally drops a story thread, it is difficult to criticize Cosby.

The audience cherished the opportunity to see the 75-year-old comedian ranked eighth on Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time." After taking his final bow, Cosby returned to the stage to thank the audience once again and praise the Kalamazoo Promise.

2 comments:

  1. Good analysis of what makes a good comic and how Cosby has remained entertaining through different generations of audiences.

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  2. I really enjoyed this article. It's nice to know that one of the greats is still going even at an old age. I heard about the show pretty last minute, and I'm sad that I couldn't go, but I agree with Joe. It's really great to know that Cosby can still read the crowd that well.

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