Following the comedic foibles of Dave Chappelle last month, the Russell Simmons Def Comedy Jam Homecoming Comedy Show brought its own brand of humor to Penn over Homecoming weekend.
The soldout show was hosted by Ricky Harris, a long-time Def Comedy Jam tour member who has appeared in several movies, including Heat and, most recently, Bones. Harris introduced his cohorts, simultaneously tossing out jokes of his own.
"Have you ever noticed that the black box always survives the crash? I don't understand why they don't make the whole plane out of the same stuff," he said at the start of the show.
Close to 800 attended the show on Nov. 3 in Harrison Auditorium, located in the Museum of Anthropology and Archeology.
The Homecoming Def Comedy Jam, a product of the Social Planning and Events Committee to Represent Undergraduate Minorities, featured four African-American comedians and a disc jockey who supplied rap and hip-hop music in between acts.
The show also featured Diane Corter, Black Entertainment Television's Hope Flood and sketch-comedy star Aries Spears.
Spears, a cast member on Mad TV who has appeared in films such as Jerry Maguire and Malcolm X, provided the show's finale -- a medley of impressions ranging from Bill Cosby to Denzel Washington. He also made satirical jabs about the social implications of Sept. 11.
"Skinheads see me now, and they're like 'Hey dude, what's up?'" Spears said.
The jokes varied from basic Michael Jackson knockdowns to sexual innuendo and ad-libbing.
Many of the jokes were socially relevant. Each comedian contributed cracks about the racial breakdown of society, earning praise from the audience.
"I thought the show was very funny, and I was really able to relate well to the content of the performances," said Ying-Ying Dong, a Wharton and College freshman. "The performers were not only funny, but also quite enlightening."
Some said the show was a highlight of Homecoming weekend.
"I thought that the show was really great," Wharton junior Yemi Abayomi said. "It was much better than I had expected, and it was a good change of pace from a usual Saturday night at Penn. I just came here at the very last minute, and I'm glad that I did."
Local comedian Ronnie Long opened the show, joking about Philadelphia's various sections and celebrities.
"North Philly is so bad that you have to get buzzed into the church," said Long, whose impressions of basketball stars Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo were well-received.
