Marlena Chertock
MARCH 11, 2011
Comedian Adam Norwest feels like he’s performed standup comedy since he was a fetus, he said. He gave a show in Irazu at Elon University at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11, 2011 to an energetic, eager-to-laugh group of students.
Norwest has performed professional improv since he was 13.
“To me, comedy is like an adventure book,” he said. “I have to figure out where to take you guys.”
People who perform comedy are messed up in the head, according to Norwest.
Norwest was fired from a phone company for being insensitive, he said.
“People would call in, saying, ‘My phone’s not getting calls,'” he said. “I would say, ‘Get better friends.'”
His Friday act consisted of mostly dirty jokes, honest and personal humor and questioning people’s questions about his own sexuality. He is straight, he said repeatedly throughout the show.
Norwest targeted several audience members for added effect. He called one African American student Beyonce and poked fun of two male students sitting in the front row for their attempts to keep straight faces.
When he said his parents asked if he was gay, an audience member said her parents asked her too. He referred to her as “lesbian” for the rest of the night, even picking on her boyfriend.
“I’ve been told I look like Lance Bass,” Norwest said. “I think that’s rude.”
Norwest made a lot of jokes about being single.
“I use the second half of my bed as storage,” he said. “It’s a King size. I realize I’m not just single, I’m alone. That’s a true and depressing part of my life.”
Laughing helps your health, Norwest said.
“I think when people are having a bad day, they need to laugh,” he said. “When people are having a good day, they can laugh. It’s fun to be able to use my talents to help a bunch of people.”
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Norwest talks about how he got into comedy
Norwest talks about why he loves comedy
Norwest describes his best experience on stage