Comedy in Communication

Ohio Northern University came to life this Family Weekend. Major events include the Harvest and Herb festival in addition to two major SPC (Student Planning Committee) events. Friday night, the “Incredibles 2” came to the Tundra. It was awesome to see students of course, but there were parents and siblings who filled the space. One benefit for members of SPC is the event remains low maintenance, allowing other tasks to fill time. We decided to provide some snacks and then let members enjoy the film. What movie is complete without popcorn?

Incredibles 2 was great, but my favorite part of the weekend was hosting the wildly funny Eric O’Shea. Have you ever sat through a comic that kept a smile on your face throughout the entire show? By the time his set was wrapping up, my face hurt from an hour of constant laughter. Apart from the show, Eric made an effort to connect with the audience. Toward the end of the show, he shifted to a more serious note, pushing the crowd to follow their passions regardless of what other people may think.

After the performance, O’Shea stuck around for pictures. My interactions with him made me think about how effective comedy can be. Motivation is difficult to instill in others. If you’ve ever stayed in bed after an alarm goes off, you know what I mean. With comedy, it’s different. By diffusing the tension in a room, you lower the guards of the people around you and that can lead to real growth or just a good time. I’m sure not everyone came out with the same takeaway, but that’s okay. I’d like to know what you think anyways.