Nealon proves that he's no 'girlyman'

Saturday Night Live veteran Kevin Nealon brought a touch of insanity to Irvine Auditorium last night, telling his audience to "Hear me now, believe me later." In an hour-long performance before approximately 1200 students, Nealon reduced his audience to tears of laughter, finding humor in the most mundane of topics and frequently crossing the bounds of good taste with gleeful abandon. Bronzed, tall and suffering from a slight paunch, Nealon combined the urbane charm of Chevy Chase with the wild ingenuity of Steven Wright. Nealon arrived on stage in the persona of "Hans," the quasi-Schwarzenegger body-builder he created for the NBC comedy show. Grabbing an unsuspecting member of the audience to be his cohort "Franz," Nealon roamed around the aisles of the auditorium, hailing various spectators with the hardly complimentary monicker of "Girlyman." Later on he became "Mr. Subliminal," peppering his routine with sotto-voiced messages -- "Standing ovation" -- in a comical attempt to brainwash his audience. "This is one of the nicest campuses I've ever been on," he said, while confessing that on his last visit, "I didn't get out of the car." Nealon's off-the-wall style won the audience over immediately, although as his act progressed, the elements of cheap and lewd humor in his act garnered more groans than laughs. But the middle-aged Nealon was always ready to convey words of wisdom to his student audience. "Marriage will calm you down," he told them. "Marriage . . . and neutering." After the show, Nealon said he enjoyed performing before a college audience. "It's very different from a nightclub audience, because students are more smarter," he said. Nealon also professed admiration for the cavernous Irvine Auditorium. "This is a great theater," he said. "When I came on stage, I felt like saying 'All Rise.' " Before leaving, Nealon showed he could draw pictures as well as he draws crowds, rapidly scribbling uncanny caricatures of six fans. Sponsored by the Pontiac All-Star Comedy Caravan, the event was organized by the recently-formed Social Planning and Events Committee Comedy Club. "We're dedicated to providing comedy for Penn students," said College junior Wai-Sum Lee, co-director of the club. "We're especially committed to stand-up comedy, and we really want students to perform," added fellow co-director Alexis Williams, a Wharton junior. Nealon was supported by College senior Hood Qa'im-Maqami -- who pronounced his last name "Johnson" -- who got the night off to a good start with his rapid-fire Iranian impressions. Qa'im-Maqami won the SPEC Comedy Club's Stand-Up Comedy Competition held in January.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.