Sports Illustrated ‘Jerk of the Week’ writer Steve Hofstetter delivered biting political satire that sent the audience into roaring laughter at Student Program Board’s ‘Comedy Show’ on Wednesday.
Cleveland Jackson competently opened the show. His opening line sparked the audience, but some poorly timed jokes fell flat. Jackson, a former stay-at-home dad, just returned to show business, which may explain his rusty performance.
Hofstetter, however, picked up the crowd by incorporating social issues and philosophical commentary into his performance. The writer proved to be an impressive comedian who left students feeling that their late stay on campus was worthwhile.
Hofstetter revealed that he voted for Barack Obama in last November’s presidential election, noting that it was a vote for ‘old or black.’
At times he tried his best to offend the audience with his routine, but the crowd was not bothered when he attacked Paris Hilton and other celebrities.
Hofstetter has a talent for setting up offensive topics and derailing them before the sensitive get upset. He also effectively bantered with the crowd when he ran out of topics, or needed to transition into another topic.
Hofstetter’s show did have a few faults, as he appeared to lose his train of thought in some instances.
Hofstetter is an accomplished writer who has written humor columns for the New York Times, Sports Illustrated.com and NHL.com.
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