Comedic Debate at Uptown Showdown

I was overall pleased with the performance we attended at the Uptown Showdown the other week. The Hanukah side focused primarily on insulting the cultural and religious significance of the two holidays, whereas the Christmas side commented more on the festivities and performance we create around them. In this sense, I feel they did not necessarily address the other side’s argument, which made it difficult for me to determine a winner. I was unsure whether to base my opinion on who was funnier or who had a more legitimate argument–or if Christmas simply won by default because I celebrate it and love everything about the holiday 🙂

The approach of the first speaker on the Hanukah side reminded me of the pitchmen’s technique we had discussed in class. He had a set story that was memorized, yet told a bit differently every time so there was still a sense of it being spontaneous and off-the-cuff. That being said, I felt the side remarks- the quick, witty rebuttals from the other teammates- were probably the best part of the show; they were genuinely spontaneous and on-the-spot, which can come across as a lot funnier than something that has been previously thought-out. Furthermore, I liked how the last speaker on the Christmas side took a completely different approach by arguing which holiday is less worse rather than which is better. The feigned surprise and pleasure, spending just 1 day with family because we could not tolerate 8- I felt he changed the pace of the debate by taking a different perspective.

Finally, I often found myself not laughing at what they were saying, but how they were saying it: in other words, their delivery. Whether it was their tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, or use of props, I felt I was laughing  at the comedians more than I was laughing with them (not to be mean or anything). Or, I found myself laughing simply because other people were, which emphasizes the importance of not only the interaction between the performers and their audience, but among the audience themselves.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear 🙂