QU After Dark presented comedian Rob O’Reilly to an enthusiastic crowd on Friday, April 9.
Café Q came to life as students went to enjoy the musings of O’Reilly. Featured on Comedy Central and NBC’s “Last Comic Standing,” O’Reilly performed a show students are not likely to forget any time soon.
Although some students didn’t catch the actual punch line of a particular joke, O’Reilly stood strong while performing his 50-minute act with stories and encounters of his college years, as well as fond childhood memories.
One of the most crowd pleasing skits occurred when O’Reilly brought out a childhood toy many hold close to their hearts: the Skip It. O’Reilly went into the story of the Skip It and how it’s actually a dangerous toy since the object of the toy is not to trip. He then brought out a Skip It that he received from a student in the past. O’Reilly asked if anyone would want to try and see if they could still “skip it.” One member of the crowd went up on stage to show off his skills. After two attempts at the Skip It, O’Reilly decided that it was his time to try it. Watching O’Reilly with the Skip It probably conjured up several childhood memories for members of the audience.
It was stories like these that O’Reilly had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. Laughter filled the room throughout his skits, especially when he brought out the famous “Cootie Shot.”
However, O’Reilly seemed to lose the crowd slightly when he veered into unsavory territory with topics littered with sexual innuendo and jokes that made fun of people. Those specific jokes featured unclear punch lines and less than funny results. Despite that stumble, O’Reilly clearly succeeded when it came to interacting with the crowd. He knocked on one woman for having a high pitched laugh and another for coming from New Jersey.
Overall, O’Reilly offered an entertaining experience. Through his interactions with the crowd, it appeared that he enjoyed visiting Quinnipiac and made everyone feel more relaxed. Even though the crowd didn’t understand the essence of some of his jokes, O’Reilly stood strong and put on a show that everyone could relish.
Photo credit: Tara McMahon
