Comedian Braved Weather to Laugh with Mason

By Connect Mason Reporter Matthew Todd
Photo by Broadside Photographer Taoxu Jiang

Ronnie Jordan, an up-and-coming African-American comedian who tours from campuses nationwide, made an appearance at Mason despite icy weather.

His crass comedy has been heavily spotlighted in such shows as Comic View, Diddy’s Bad Boys of Comedy, and Oomp Camp Live. His show was delayed by 45-minutes, but the wait was undoubtedly well worth it. He hit high comedic marks and touched on engrossing topics one can easily relate to such as annoying college roommates, obsessive compulsive disorder, accurate takes on freshman attitudes, as well as racial and gay stereotypes (his bit on an overly flamboyant 6’5” black flight attendant named “Peaches” was the high spot), along with cracking jokes about his own weight (though not humbly so).

Much of Jordan’s artful bawdiness is reminiscent of late greats such as Richard Pryor along with the Original Kings of Comedy. Jordan is remarkably mesmeric with a colorful and multi-dimensional personality that transfixes his audience.

He exaggerates how remedial college course classrooms are set up like a kindergarten classroom, complete with coloring books, building blocks and everything (insinuating that’s where Yaggermeister-guzzling partying minors end up). He also cracks on Dora the Explorer, annoying six-year-olds, being “too” ghetto, “Super-gays,” and ridiculous MySpace and Facebook picture poses before concluding with a brilliant montage of love songs about his complicated relationship with a honey bun (soundtrack accompaniment by Alicia Keys, Ginuwine, and ‘N Sync).

Jordan is nominated for Best Comedy Performance 2008 for the Readers Choice Awards (vote for him here). Also look for Ronnie Jordan on both MySpace and Facebook.