“Karaoke people are nuts. Yeah, they’re just a step above the Thursday night comedy crowd.” These words came from the joke-spewing mouth of comedian Carolyn Busa and were followed with laughter and applause from an appreciative audience.
Those in attendance at Temple’s Public Relations Student Society of America’s comedy show, “It’s Always Funny in Philadelphia,” spent an evening in the Underground in the Student Center listening to a variety of jokes. From waking up in bed next to Cookie Monster to the election, crime on campus and comparing an untrained dog to a college roommate, the show covered just about everything.
PRowl, PRSSA’s sister organization, helped coordinate the comedy night.
“We heard it’s comedy, and we expect to laugh,” said Kia Dunlap, a freshman university studies major. “We laugh at everything, and I have a friend in PRSSA, so I just came out to support.”
Dunlap and others enjoyed pizza, drinks and more, as local comedians filled the night with laughter, slight giggles and table-slapping humor.
The 18-year-old Joe Dougherty, a senior in high school, was the master of ceremonies at the event.
“So, anybody having sex? What’s that like?” Dougherty said at the beginning of the show.
Dougherty, who attends Roman Catholic High School, said he’d been doing comedy for about two years.
“I just looked the show up on my own. It was a great time, and I’d love to come back, if I get invited back,” he laughingly added.
The light-hearted event was one of many for the professional student organizations PRSSA and PRowl.
“We have bake sales, like any organization,” said Mary Bienkowski, a junior public relations major and director of fundraising for PRSSA. “We also had a Philadelphia Eagles event, and we’re having an open mic on Dec. 4 called ‘Oral in the Underground.’”
“For a student-run event, I think it’s great,” PRSSA President Lindsay Bues said.
“It’s good because it’s so hands-on,” said Bues, a senior public relations major. “We deal with all aspects of advertising, sending out information and getting exposure for the event.”
Exposure is a broad statement. The organizations made fliers and verbally spread the word before resorting to their last marketing public relations “stunt,” which included a man dressed entirely in green spandex passing out fliers, days before the event.
Bues said while the comedy night was the third installment of the comedy series, it started last year with Temple student and comedian Pat House, who performed Thursday night.
“I just reached out and got them to come,” said House, a senior communications major. “I’ve been doing comedy for about five years now, and these events are always a blast.”
“I’m graduating soon,” said House, as he stood with microphone in hand at the front of the room. After announcing his upcoming graduation, House cut the audience’s applause short, by saying “I’m 24 guys, it’s about time.”
“I’m truly excited about the show,” said junior Jaime Scofield, firm director of PRowl. “It’s great to co-host events like this with PRSSA.”
Marketing and public relations major Scofield said PRowl is designed to give members experience of dealing with real clients, taking what they learn in classroom and applying it elsewhere.
Scofield said PRowl has about 15 members, all of whom are a part of PRSSA, which has about 45 members.
“It’s always fun to see how these events go and to plan them,” said Janaye Guinn, a senior public relations major and member of PRSSA.
“I’m here to support [Guinn], but I love seeing the comedians, too,” said Jason Williams, a senior marketing major.
Those in attendance received an evening’s worth of laughs from start to finish.
Gabriel Katz can be reached at gabriel.katz@temple.edu.
PAT HOUSE!