Thursday, August 8, 2013

Fringe Festival: "How to Swear Like a Minnesotan"

Day: 5

Show: 15


By: Joking Envelope

Created by: Joseph Scrimshaw

Location: U of M Rarig Center Xperimental

Summary: A stand-up comedy routine about all the wonderful (and not so wonderful) things about being a Minnesotan.

Highlights: As I think I've made fairly obvious on a number of occasions, I love my home state of Minnesota. And I love a good Minnesota joke, but only Minnesotans are allowed to make fun of Minnesota. It's a good thing Joseph Scrimshaw is a Minnesotan (we know because he lists all of the Minnesota towns he's lived in during his lifetime), because he makes good fun of Minnesota in this show, but in a loving way. It's absolutely hilarious, filled with jokes about hot dish, snow, the long good-bye, out-state family afraid to visit "the big city," Betty Crocker, The Oregon Trail, Minnesota celebrities, Paul Bunyon, and "Minnesota nice" covering up the hot angry cheese inside of us (I like Garrison Keillor's definition - "Minnesotans are so nice they'll give you directions to anywhere except their own home"). And yes, he does swear, including that most Minnesotan of swear words - "uff-da." I'd say you should go see it, but it's completely sold out. Your last chance is the "Audience Pick" at 8:30 pm on Sunday night (reserve a ticket for the U of M Rarig Center Xperimental here).