“This performance may contain content that is offensive and may be inappropriate for younger audience members,” read a sign in the lobby of Ohio University’s Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Saturday evening.
Saturday, comedian and podcast host Hannah Berner made a stop on her Class Clown Tour at Ohio University as a part of the university’s annual Moms Weekend. While there was some spicy material throughout the show, it was overall a hit with moms and their Bobcats.
Each week, Berner co-hosts the podcast “Giggly Squad” with Paige DeSorbo, on which they dive into everything from pop culture to horoscopes to making “fun of everything, but most importantly ourselves,” according to Berner’s website. Berner also co-hosts “Berner Phone” with her husband and fellow comedian Des Bishop, where the pair give advice to callers and banter about anything and everything.
Berner’s Saturday show was preceded by a set from comedian Kelly Collette, who started her career in Cincinnati.
At the beginning of her set, Colette made sure the audience knew she was aware it was Moms Weekend. She talked about her own mom, specifically how she calls her every year to tell her what she wants for Christmas, a recent example being a $40 blender from Target.
Colette also addressed the variety of generations in the room, explaining the best way she can tell how old someone is by asking someone to finish the iconic “Cut my life into pieces” lyric from Papa Roach’s song, “Last Resort.”
After being introduced by Colette, Berner opened her set by joking that all of the moms in town for the weekend booked up all the hotels, so she was going to be staying at a Super 8 for the night.
She also talked about staying with her parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Why are moms waking up at 7 a.m. banging every single cabinet,” Berner said. “My mom would always, at 11 a.m., be vacuuming and come into my room and she’s like, ‘Are you asleep?’ and I’m like, ‘It’s my 11 a.m. nap.’”
Berner then asked the crowd about OU’s mascot, Rufus the Bobcat, and whether anyone in the crowd knew any people who portray Rufus at events on campus. Berner went to the University of Wisconsin, at which the mascot is Bucky the Badger, and said people who had to wear the Bucky the Badger costume to campus events acted like Spider-Man because they couldn’t “tell people their identity.”
One audience member said they used to be Rufus and told Berner they would see people they didn’t like while being Rufus but still had to be nice.
“I saw her for the first time on TikTok, and then I saw she was coming here,” Mara Jones, a sophomore studying visual communications, said. “I think she did a good job at keeping it PG but also a little funnier. Enough to be good for (moms).”
Throughout the show, a group of OU alumni bantered back and forth with Berner about being engaged, Mountain Dew and even offering Berner a White Claw from their front-row seats.
“I think it’s a really good moment when you can relate to your daughter,” Lisa Kinnard, a mom of an OU student who attended the show, said. “You listen to a comedian and they’re talking about taboo moments and you both laugh. You’re like, ‘Oh, we haven’t talked about this, but we both get it.’”
March 23 is when Berner recorded her first Netflix comedy special in Philadelphia. Fans can learn more here and check out her website for upcoming shows, podcasts and more.
Opinion Editor
