Seth Meyers last night advised university students who have constructed an elaborate drug-dealing pulley system in their dorm room to avoid soliciting marijuana customers via open windows.
The day after the 2008 presidential election between Barack Obama and John McCain, the Cohen Auditorium was buzzing with the arrival of a man who would rather spoof politics than run for office.
Meyers, the 34-year-old head writer and Weekend Update co-anchor for NBC's "Saturday Night Live," won the support of the Tufts crowd with a stand-up set that lasted slightly over an hour.
The Entertainment Board sponsored the event, selling tickets for $10 at the Cohen Box Office and ushering people to their seats prior to the show. Senior Arya Meydani and junior Nissa Bagelman, the co-chairs of the Entertainment Board, and the rest of the board's members had considered bringing in comedians such as B.J. Novak, Stephen Lynch and Gabriel Iglesias.
"We rank them and then we speak to our agent and find out who he can get based on who's in our price range and who fits into the schedule," Meydani said. Despite a "time crunch," the E-Board was able to secure Meyers for Wednesday night's performance.
The entire night was marked by riotous laughter due to Meyers' college-oriented jokes and nonchalant delivery. He immediately personalized the show by asking the audience members to identify themselves by class, right before jumping right into political issues.
"For me, I'm a little sad that Sarah Palin is leaving the political scene. [She is] common gold," Meyers said. He proceeded to indulge the audience in an anecdote about Palin's appearance on SNL and her backstage impression of an Alaskan governor firing a bullet at a moose.
But despite his role in crafting the skits in which Tina Fey played Palin, Meyers did not dwell on national events. Instead, he opted to focus on politics more in the range of Massachusetts' recently passed Proposition 2.
Meyers touched upon his residence in Amsterdam, mimicking actors Matthew McConaughey and Owen Wilson in the process.
He also reeled off a string of jokes under the common theme that they were too inappropriate to say on television during his recurring Weekend Update routine with co-star Amy Poehler.
"Studies show that the average college students gain six to nine pounds in their first year of college. So girls, that means the rest of your freshman fifteen is probably a baby," Meyers said.
Further references to the show that catapulted Meyers to fame included his imitation of Ashlee Simpson's live lip-synching fiasco of 2004. Meyers poked fun at Simpson's jig, as she danced for a moment before fleeing the stage in embarrassment.
Aside from his references to his full-time job on SNL, Meyers related to the college audience and loosened up many students, some of whom were bitter about a conflict in which sophomore Brian Agler and freshman Matt Nazarian, who had been scheduled to open the show, were erased from the lineup.
The E-Board refused to comment on the issue, but Nazarian and Agler could be seen congratulating Meyers after the show.
Meyers commented repeatedly about the inane "wooing" of some audience members and asked them what stupid purchases they had made via eBay.
Apparently, one student bought three differently sized samurai swords and a mounting rack for $45, and another student purchased a stoplight. Finally, Meyers moved on to consult a senior named Ted about his relationship issues and his future as an engineer.
In total, the audience seemed deeply satisfied with Meyers' performance, and many people lingered at the end of the show to seek a quick photo with the performer or an autograph.
"There were not so many political jokes, especially considering [the election] was yesterday," freshman Scott Tingley said. "But I think he kept a good pace with his jokes and kept everybody entertained."
Other students, like sophomore Sarah Sperry, agreed. "I thought it was a great way to get my mind off tests and work. I laughed so hard and smiled so much my mouth hurts," she said.
