Zero Fucks To Give

A tidbit of information not many know about me is, I am a sucker for stand up comedy. I watch it all the time and it’s the #1 recommendations on my Netflix account. Even as I write this I’m watching Brad William’s “Starfish” on YouTube. I’ve been to a few comedy shows and even took Spawn to see her favourite performer, Iliza Shlesinger, a few years ago and got to meet her back stage. So, when I saw the Outdoor Comedy Festival come across my Instagram feed I was in.

I saw it come up last year but sadly the weekend it was happening I was in Ontario so I couldn’t attend. Then like the delightful goldfish I am I forgot all about it until last February when it popped up again. I had opted to cancel my trip to Vegas this year due to…reasons…so instead I snagged a ticket, booked a hotel and planned to tell no one that I was sneaking into Edmonton for the weekend to have some chuckles.

That idea lasted until the day before I drove up. I decided to surprise my bestie with a visit before I ignored everyone for the weekend. After that, I saw a few other friends and my niece while I was in town but didn’t miss a show I wanted to see.

I really went for Saturday night and the Sunday shows. But since I had tickets for the whole weekend I decided to catch the Friday night show. I hadn’t heard of any of the performers, but a friend said the headliner, Tony Hinchcliffe, and the Tony Killers were funny, and I’m always up for finding new talent to make me laugh. Other than Ari Matti, I didn’t really laugh. I actually got up at one point and had to walk away because the headache was rolling in from someone screaming into the microphone. I even left the show early. It wasn’t my vibe.

I was surrounded by tonnes of people who were fans though, and yucked it up all evening. They were definitely pandering to the right wing population of Alberta. We may be known as the Texas (I say Arkansas) of Canada, but there were times they lost the audience because we’re still Canadian, not American.

I like shock comedy. Jimmy Carr and Anthony Jeselnik are two men in my comedic harem lulling me off to sleep at night. The twists to their jokes have me howling as I snuggle down, falling asleep to the cadence of their humour. I got to see Anthony on the Saturday night and practically floated back to the hotel. I’d have that man’s babies…if I didn’t think he’d kill them. That’s the kind of shock comedy I like.

That was not Friday night’s performers. Their style of jokes was demeaning and patronizing. I’m not right wing, I’m not left wing. I like to think of myself as centre. Both sides would wholeheartedly disagree, because I don’t completely agree with either side. However, extreme right wing pundits and comedians don’t resonate with me. Comedy that stands upon the repression of others isn’t funny…to me. There were enough cheers and drunken agreements around me that I worried I was about to become hate crime.

It took far too much effort to keep my tongue in check. I had the information and knowledge to counter most of their ‘jokes’, but chose to pack my chair and head back to the hotel instead.

Thankfully, the weekend got sooooo much better after that. In fairness, there wasn’t anywhere but up to go.

Saturday night gave me Pete Holmes and Anthony Jeslnik, and too many chortles to even remotely be lady like. The laughter carried me up the ridiculously steep stairs back to the hotel, in the dark, sketchy part of the River Valley.

Sunday afternoon Matteo Lane and Fortune Feimster killed it. The whole afternoon was delightful and full of whimsy and allies! It was the exact opposite feel to Friday night. Inclusion and acceptance. A much better feeling than alienation and hatred.

Sunday night brought the damn heat! Martin Short is truly a Canadian Icon. Watching him perform was the highlight of the weekend, and that says a lot since he was followed by John Mulaney, a leading man in the comedic harem.

I had a spectacular weekend in Edmonton, not realizing that this festival travels across Canada with different performers, including the city I live in! So, guess who has tickets to see the leading man in my harem, Bert Kreischer next month? That’s right, this hysterical, chuckle Queen! Cannot wait!