ARTS: Billy D. Washington @ Tate Theater
Headlining comedian Billy D. Washington said that missing Chinese people should go on the back of eggnog. The elderly get evaporated milk. Bisexuals? Half and half.
Washington, who has appeared on BET’s “Comic View” and HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam,” also has a joke about deaf people, another about rooting for the Ku Klux Klan over the Florida Gators, even though he is African American, and yet another about domestic violence.
Why then was he the best of four performers in the University of Georgia’s last installment of its Dawghouse Comedy Series on Nov. 5?
For one, his stand-up show was immersive. He spoke against the giant red curtain of the Tate Theater without seeming enveloped by it, and he was dynamic enough of an entertainer to occupy the space usually held by movie screenings.
Washington stood only a few feet from the front row and engaged the audience throughout his show, though not always nicely. A former police officer, he made specific guests the butt of jokes, including the bike cop in the back of the theater, a cameraperson and one of the only people who admitted to being a Republican. No subjects were taboo, and no people were exempt from criticism.
“Too small for me?” he said, holding one of University Union’s T-shirts and responding to a comment from a muscular man up front.
“Too small for your fat a–,” Washington said, before including this “titty boy” in other jokes. His material meshed, he used the same punch line in dramatically different jokes in ingenious ways and he incorporated reactions from the crowd seamlessly.
Most impressive of all was his absorption of the inferior comics preceding him into his own act. He reduced student Matt Slotten, for example, to a scatological, unfunny story, and that jab was fair.
Slotten, the second of four comics that night, bombed. He overstayed his welcome, and his timidity clashed with the tight deliveries of the more professional veterans. He said that working as a janitor would “be a sh– job,” crapping in the urinal was “funny as sh–” and “sh– goes down in the bathroom.”
One hand pushed deep into his sweatshirt pocket, Slotten said a hushed “damnit” into the microphone after every failed joke, and his discomfort filtered into the audience.
Opener Eric Slauson’s timing was better than Slotten’s—Slauson deferred his punch lines so that what initially sounded like a platitude or clichéd sentiment turned raunchy.
“I really just want someone to hold,” he said. “My penis in their vagina.”
Sex jokes, as a rule, are funnier than poop puns. Sex involves fumbling, naïveté, dialogue and nudity, and not having it can be just as humorous as having it. Everyone goes to the bathroom in a similar way, and hearing Slotten’s story about hiding in the shower while his father squatted on the toilet was traumatic for both him and his captive audience.
Mark LaMotte, the last man up before Washington, fell between these two supporting comedians. An advisor at the University of Georgia, he wore a red hat with the university logo and shared stories about children he has mentored. His bit was inoffensive, short and chuckle-worthy, about women being gobbling turkeys, men being gullible monkeys and kids just saying the darndest things. LaMotte was a good transition into the main act, in part because he had met Washington long before the show.
If the first part of Washington’s performance was a crude buildup, then his musical portion was the innocent comedown, allowing people to forget jokes that could have rubbed them the wrong way. He went to his keyboard and sang Soulja Boy’s “Crank Dat” as a slow jam, invented reggae nursery rhymes and pretended to be a stuttering classical pianist, extending the most recognizable part of Für Elise.
“I didn’t say take the spotlight off me,” Washington said when he returned to the microphone and invited LaMotte back down.
You really shouldn’t. He’s more intelligent than some of my favorite comedians (Patton Oswalt is awkward and unfunny on the fly, for example), and he’s obviously hungry. So shine that spotlight brighter.
Just hope he doesn’t point it at you.
- by Alex Dimitropoulos
Venue Web site: Tate Theater
*Editor's note: The following video contains offensive language and crude humor
I think the Balogna joke should've made it, but I guess "titty boy" will do. I still think there should be a different logo besides the Grady logo and there needs to be more space between the copy and the widgets. Or some kind of break like a color change or something. The links and maps are a good idea one I'll gladly steal for our blog. Good work.
I liked his incorporation of singing material at the end, but i can't say that I loved his show. My standards are probably way too high and my comparisons to other comedians are not necessarily appropriate (I mean come on, it's the Tate theater), but he just didn't move me. He talked way too much to the people who had performed before him; it was a total crutch for those slightly awkward, quieter moments. I laughed, I won't deny that, but I think Billy D needs some new material.
Moderators: I think you did an awesome job on your site, but I have been noticing recently the harshness of the color red on a computer screen. I believe its at the end of the color spectrum (ROY G BIV?) so it refracts more than any other color and I think that's why when there is a lot of it, it's tough on the eyes - note how the UGA website doesn't even really have that much red, mostly black. BUT great job!
I figured I would read the critique that beat mine for this blog. I like...and I agree with most. I didn't write anything about how bad the opening acts were, except for the advisor (he was alright, but too PG for me). I think you did a great job describing how terrible they were and how uncomfortable they made the audience. I noticed that guy #2 kept his hand in his sweatshirt the whole time too! I just wanted to scream at him to not make it so obvious that he was so nervous!
The musical part of the show was horrendous, though. The regge part was funny, but Ive seen it a thousand times from other comedians. I think that the opening joke should definitly have made it because it was the funniest one of the night, and Im kind of sad that the ones you mentioned in the review were not as racy as he was on stage. Mentioning the sh** jokes from guy #2 seemed more risque than Billy D. However, I love your review and your description. The ending was perfect.
-Kamila Szoltysek
Alex, gotta say I enjoy reading your stuff. You're always very thorough in giving the reader details and setting, etc. "No subjects were taboo and no people were exempt from criticism," nicely sums up this show. I really like how you incorporated the previous acts into your review as well, something I didn't do too much of. So obviously, I saw this show too but I get a good grasp of the show again from reading your review, very coherent and entertaining. I applaud you, friend : )
Alex Berry
After seeing this show as well I was interested in seeing what others had to say. I like the review of Billy D. a lot. However, I think the mention of the others is unncessary and done in an awkward Tarantino-esque way. I'd consider focusing more heavily on the main act since he is the crux of your argument. I do like the design since it is so visual. A little heavy on the side columns for my taste though.
Rarely do I get the chance to see reviews of my shows. Thanks for paying enough attention to formulate an opinion, and to the posters for your comments.
Dzel, I thrive on the quieter moments, and they are never awkward for me, I don't bring a lot of energy to the stage so to re-create a mood after a joke is one of my strengths.
I was on stage for over an hour and did material that I have done on TV and in venues all over the world, I could have opted to go with stream of consciousness pieces but I elected to go with the things that I thought would work. In terms of my talking about the people who performed before me, I have been "that" comic and I would rather a pro treat me like a peer than to ignore me, no matter how well or poorly the set went. I hope they embraced the spirit of my approach.
Kamila, my apologies for having you sit though the "horrendous" musical portion of my show, people tend to like it...really. It's not some slight of hand thing that I do to make up for my lack of stand-up, it's actually a part of who I am that gives me great pleasure in performing. Maybe a different song selection would have settled your angst, or maybe I need to parody the Jonas Braughs, or chord some Portishead tune to satisfy the "obscure reference" appetite. The reggae thing is mine...pinkie promise.
Finally, thanks to all of you for coming out and wish each of you all good things in the new year.
BDW