AMERICA LITE
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I laughed twice in two hours. The first time was during a skit entitled “History Lesson.” The premise is that Bush has decided to sell Ohio in order to alleviate the national debt. Now, to appreciate this skit, you must understand that there’s something inherently funny about Ohio. I didn’t know that, but since Ohio pops up in another piece (“Script Ohio”), I can only assume that just mentioning Ohio is good for a laugh. Ohio is like, you know, boxer shorts or prosthetic genitalia–both of which, incidentally, turn up in other parts of the show. Anyway, Donald Trump makes a bid for Ohio with the line, “Ohio will go nicely with my new suit.” That’s when I laughed. OK, I’m easy.
My second moment of hilarity came during “The Liberalarium.” This skit is set in a Twilight Zone sort of future when the “last living liberal” is put on display for the public. The sulking “L-person” is prodded, by electric shocks, to deliver little speeches against capital punishment and the arms race for the viewing public. But he escapes and there’s a big manhunt, which is the occasion for satires of TV news, civil defense procedures, and vegetarianism. (Conservatives, apparently, are carnivores.) What made me laugh, however, were the police, who always entered a scene chanting, “We’re cops. We’re cops,” waving their handguns around in a two-fisted grip like Don Johnson looking for a target in an empty crack house. It’s a silly bit, but funny, and if choreographer Liz Pazik is responsible, then good for her.
