Previewing their latest material with the four members of the comedy group Ironic T-shirt was slightly awkward at times, considering that their penis jokes were directed at the group member sitting next to this reporter.
As the posters all over campus announce, Ironic T-shirt is back. The group, made up of seniors Nikolai von Keller, Anton Handel, Adam Paltrineri, and Daniel Yingst, will perform Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. Their performance will consist of nine short skits, two to seven minutes in length, followed by a 28-minute video called "The Mystery of Brown Beard's Ghost: The Movie."
The new skits will certainly not disappoint those familiar with Ironic T-shirt's phone sex, which provides the group's penchant for shameless sexual humor. An admissions tape from the Bowdoin of a bygone era, however, is an insightful commentary regarding race, class, and the dubious benefit of the College's association with President Franklin Pierce, class of 1824.
"The Mystery of Brown Beard's Ghost: The Movie" rounds out the skits with a treasure hunt that rivals the "Da Vinci Code" in its masterful depiction of labyrinthine complexity. Paltrineri should be especially commended for his authentic and well-researched portrayal of Netherlandic mores and customs as "Dutch Guy."
Students unfamiliar with their comedy, which recalls the obscure hilarity of "Family Guy" at its most obtuse, can find their work playing constantly on the Bowdoin Cable Network (BCN) or by searching for "Ironic T-shirt" on YouTube, where their notorious "Masturbation" skit has already been viewed almost 300 times.
This performance represents a revival of Bowdoin comedy after a one-year hiatus, during which many of the members were studying abroad. The members of Ironic T-shirt, who live together (in what they claim is a state of blissful creative and emotional unity), are happy to fill what Paltrineri calls a "comedy gap" in structured performances at Bowdoin. By scheduling their performance during the first Saturday of reading period, they also hope to provide a much-needed break for students.
Despite these preparations, Ironic T-shirt sometimes wonders whether these preparations will result in any lasting impact.
"People will forget us 10 minutes out the door," Paltrineri lamented. "They'll be looking for a cheap ticket on Maine Street."
Patrineri's doubts aside, all members of the student body should attend the group's performance at the very least for the sake of a certain reporter, who, attending under the threat of death or dismemberment, really doesn't want to spend a second evening alone with Ironic T-shirt and their penis jokes.
Besides, the skits are certainly more enjoyable than anyone you'd meet on Maine Street.