comedy Archives - Queen's Journal

We need to diversify the comedy scene

Written on October 8, 2020. Posted in Editorials.

Our conception of comedy is constantly changing. As the comedy scene continues to evolve, we must support a diverse range of comedians and comedy, if only because good humour is subjective, not universal. Some people claim society is becoming too sensitive, “censoring” comedians unnecessarily. While...

The return of ‘Saturday Night Live’ couldn’t have come at a better time

Written on October 8, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

2020 has been quite a year—from a deadly virus to murder hornets, it’s left us all wondering what could possibly come next. With everything going on, it’s easy to lose hope. But, as a silver lining, this year’s bizarre events are good fodder for a reliable coping mechanism: comedy. Humour can be...

Queen’s alumni teach and perform comedy online with Second City

Written on June 1, 2020. Posted in Arts.

During quarantine, Queen’s alumni Garrett Rodman (Arts ‘05) and Carly Heffernan (Arts ‘07) have moved comedy troupe Second City’s classes and improv shows online. In an interview with The Journal Rodman and Heffernan said Second City has a proud history dating back to 1959. It was founded that year...

Unpopular Opinion: Parks and Recreation beats out The Office

Written on March 20, 2020. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Both driven by the talented Michael Schur, The Office and Parks and Recreation (also known as Parks) are among the most bingeable TV comedies in recent memory. The former gave rise to the mockumentary-style of storytelling that made the latter possible. That said, in my opinion, Parks is just an all-around...

American comic to perform at Absolute Comedy Club

Written on February 13, 2020. Posted in Arts.

This May will mark 19 years since Sam Demaris was waiting tables at an Olive Garden in his hometown of Houston, Texas before he left to pursue comedy full-time. He’s been performing stand-up ever since. Demaris, now based in Los Angeles, will be headlining at the Absolute Comedy Club here in Kingston...

Celebrating Kingston's heART

Written on February 11, 2020. Posted in Arts.

Dinner and a movie is a tried-and-true way to celebrate Valentine’s Day, but Kingston has much more to offer than just food and films. The Journal compiled a list of events happening in the Limestone City on Feb. 14 to help you impress your date (or yourself) and fall in love with the art of our city. 1) ...

Sexist study makes female comedians the butt of the joke

Written on November 8, 2019. Posted in Editorials.

The idea that women are all less funny than men due to evolution sounds like nothing short of a bad punchline. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what a recent study shared by the BBC claims—that as a rule, men have “higher humour production ability” than women. This binary, heteronormative generalization...

Aidy Bryant’s 'Shrill' is the self-love narrative viewers need

Written on March 22, 2019. Posted in Lifestyle, Pop Culture.

Hulu’s Shrill has accomplished more productive dialogue about the modern young woman’s experience in its first season than Girls did in its entire series. In the pilot episode of Shrill, Saturday Night Live alum Aidy Bryant’s new show, her character Annie gets an abortion, publishes her first article...

In hysterics at feminist comedy night

Written on September 18, 2018. Posted in Arts, Theatre.

In most pop culture, feminist comedy is a punch line. However, on Saturday night, The Hysterics Collective challenged that belief with their Hopes & Dreams comedy show at The Grad Club. Part of the Alt Frosh event series, the feminist collective aimed to provide a safe, welcoming space for all...

The Queen’s roots of Carly Heffernan’s comedy

Written on September 7, 2018. Posted in Arts, Theatre.

Carly Heffernan didn’t realize how much she loved comedy until she saw Queen’s Players. Today, Heffernan is big in the Toronto comedy scene. An award-winning alumnus of Second City Toronto, she is the director of the Second City National touring company, the all-female Second City Chicago show She...

Live, from Kingston, it’s Tuesday Night

Written on February 15, 2018. Posted in Arts.

On Tuesday night at The Mansion, Queen’s students Esther Oziel and Quinn Bernholtz hosted a fundraising event, “Tuesday Night Live,” for Queen’s Hillel On One Foot to raise funds for the club’s student programming next year. The low-lit, intimate room at The Mansion created a relaxing environment...

Queen’s varsity improv kicks off semester at the Mansion

Written on February 2, 2018. Posted in Arts.

The Queen’s Varsity Improv team presented their first performance of the semester, titled TrailerProv Boys, this past Tuesday night at The Mansion. Prior to the show, co-captains Owen Kewell and Blair MacMillan said they were excited for the coming performance and hoped for a high-energy reaction...

Hellspawn delivers a refreshing take on war stories

Written on January 23, 2018. Posted in Arts.

Although typically fought between two nations, Hellspawn pitched a new twist to traditional war stories — a battle fought between man and emu. Produced by The Imaginary Theatre Company, Hellspawn recounted the historical Great Emu War between British soldiers and the emus in the Australian outback....

Two girls take on Golden Word’s stand-up comedy night

Written on October 26, 2017. Posted in Arts.

Considering the longstanding animosity between The Journal and Golden Words, heading to their Stand-Up Comedy Night at Clark Hall this past Tuesday was kind of a no-brainer. Wanting to see what kind of event our rival paper was putting on, we walked into enemy territory armed with a camera, laminated...

How "Broad City" is the voice millennial women need

Written on September 12, 2017. Posted in Lifestyle.

In a time when politics dominates almost every aspect of our lives, watching Broad City presents a fun and engaging way to stay up-to-date with the current state of US government administration. The general synopsis of the show is that it’s about two girls in their twenties trying to live their...

Drama queen and comedy machine

Written on February 3, 2017. Posted in Arts.

“Nothing kills me more than when people make art that doesn’t really say anything. I’m just like ‘bye’,” Rachel Manson, ArtSci ’17, said in an interview with The Journal. Amen. The first three things you need to know about Manson are that first, she’s an improv master, second, she swears like a sailor,...

Tipsy review: Sex, drugs and Trump

Written on November 25, 2016. Posted in Arts.

On Wednesday night, I lost my Queen’s Players virginity. To say the experience was special is an understatement as I was all smiles and laughs for the three-hour duration of the show. The group debuted their savage show, Orange is The New Outback, to an enthusiastic crowd at The Mansion. I threw...

It’s not all jokes for female comedians

Written on February 11, 2016. Posted in Editorials.

Women are a small minority in the stand-up comedy world — but it isn’t because women aren’t funny. Many people are accustomed to hearing sexual jokes from a man. But when dark and explicit humour comes from a woman, some audiences just don’t bust a gut. And from my experience, some guys would rather...

Eclectic comedy troupe returns to Queen’s

Written on September 29, 2015. Posted in Arts.

The award-winning sketch comedy troupe She Said What paid a visit to their alma mater last week. The four Queen’s alumni that make up the troupe, Megan MacKeigan, Marni Van Dyk, Emma Hunter and Carly Heffernan, are all ArtSci ’07. Through sketch comedy, She Said What takes controversial and sensitive...

Russell Peters brings his humour to Kingston

Written on October 7, 2014. Posted in Arts.

Russell Peters brought his notorious humour to Kingston’s K-Rock Centre on Sunday to an impressive crowd of over 600 Kingston residents and students. The event started off with Faisal Butt, a comedian nominated through a Kingston radio contest to open the show. After Butt’s short and well-received...

Comedic commentary

Written on November 15, 2013. Posted in Arts.

A socialist commentary on capitalism, The Threepenny Opera, put on by the Queen’s drama department, aims to capture the essence of human interaction. Tim Fort, a drama professor and the musical’s director, has dabbled in just about everything — from lighting production to set design, to acting himself. Since...

‘Arrogantly’ coming home

Written on October 8, 2013. Posted in Arts.

The Arrogant Worms came home to their alma mater this weekend. Despite the band’s slightly late start at Duncan McArthur, the full auditorium was buzzing with excitement. They were introduced by the Stephen Elliott, the dean of Faculty of Education. Trevor Strong, the band’s lead vocalist, has a Master’s...

When comedy and music collide

Written on October 4, 2013. Posted in Arts.

Alumni aren’t the only ones coming home this weekend. The musical comedy trio, the Arrogant Worms, is returning to Queen’s, where they met more than 20 years ago, to play a Homecoming concert on Saturday. Comprised of Trevor Strong, ArtSci ’91, Ed ’11, MEd ’13; Mike McCormick, Sci ’85, MSci ’93; and...

A blast from the past

Written on September 10, 2013. Posted in Arts.

Had director Ken Weston not told me their venue, the Davies Foundation Auditorium, was a converted hockey arena, I would have never known. I could have sworn the atmosphere inside of the Leading Ladies production reflected exactly what a 1950s home would feel like. I waited on an old couch for the...

The Hottest Movies of the Summer

Written on June 2, 2012. Posted in Lifestyle.

When we think of summer fun in the sun, staying inside is not necessarily what typically comes to mind. But on rainy days or sleepy afternoons, it’s a good idea to curl up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and a summer flick. Here are our top five must-watch picks for this summer. 1. Midnight in...

Tag: comedy