What is "quite interesting" this weekend? Comedian, author, and "media gadfly" Mo Rocca will perform at Morrell Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m. on September 11.
Audiences should be prepared for a mixture of intelligent commentary on current events and the media's coverage of said events, a behind-the-scenes look at The Daily Show, and a preview of Rocca's upcoming book, All the President's Pets.
According to his representative agency, Greater Talent Network, "[Rocca] is known for his wacky, tongue-in-cheek news reports and hilarious commentary."
In Director of Student Activities Burgie Howard's "mopinion," "Mo is an interesting performer to say the least. Just be prepared to laugh and to think in that famous style we all grew to love on The Daily Show."
Rocca began his career as a writer and producer for the PBS children's series Wishbone, which earned both Emmy and Peabody awards. He then wrote and produced ABC's cartoon Pepper Ann and Nickelodeon's The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, featuring Jim Henson puppets.
A man of many talents, Rocca also held an editorship position at Perfect 10, which holds the dubious distinction of being the only gentlemen's magazine to feature only models who have never had cosmetic surgery. According to Greater Talent Network's biography, Rocca asserts that doing "pre-school by day and porn by night" helped him to prepare for the wide range of topics he would deal with on The Daily Show.
Rocca, who is of Italian-American and Colombian descent, is no stranger to the stage. He attended Harvard College as an undergraduate, where he presided over and wrote for the infamous Hasty Pudding Theatricals. His experiences in acting include the roles of "Doody" in the Southeast Asia Tour of Greece and the Professor in the Paper Mill Playhouse production of South Pacific.
He is a former correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Currently, he is a contributor on NBC's The Today Show, host and co-executive producer of Court TV's Smoking Gun TV, and host of Bravo's upcoming show Things I Hate About You. The ubiquitous Rocca is also a commentator for CNN, Headline News, Fox News Channel, and a regular panelist on NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Most recently, Rocca covered the Democratic National Convention for CNN this summer, earning him attention from the Campus Activities Board. "Given all the political talk that has been going on this summer, we thought that he would be a great fit," Howard said.
In less journalistic pursuits, Rocca appears regularly on VH1 on Best Week Ever, I Love the 70s, I Love the 80s, and I Love the 90s.
Rocca's new book, All the Presidents' Pets, is a satirical and journalistic piece that uncovers a long-concealed Washington secret that the presidents' pets play a significant role in politics. It is described as a unique blend of All the President's Men, Dutch and Charlotte's Web.
In regard to the show falling on 9-11, Howard said, "Just as New York City showed the world that fall that it could persevere and move on, I think that folks don't want that day to be forever somber. So, hopefully, a politically aware comedian might be the perfect performer to help lighten the mood and keep the bright and active folks of Bowdoin engaged."
Tickets are $8 for Bowdoin ID holders and $15 for all others. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.