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Fool Disclosure: Laughing at the expense of others |
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Written by Marissa Hutton-Gavel
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Friday, 03 August 2007 |
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 Colorado State University graduates and students Aaron Burns, Brian McKeever, Brien Sponaugle, Keegan Hill, Meghan Gray, and Todd Giammo look like your average 20 and 30-somethings. They have “normal” day jobs, friends, etc. They don’t run around in clown shoes, or diapers, and as far as we know they haven’t stuck anything gross up their noses or anything else Jackass-esque.
They do, however, make people laugh on a regular basis by making fools of themselves and their audience. The six of them compose Fort Collins-based comedy troupe, “Fool Disclosure.”
We sat down with them to see what makes a good show, which comedian they aspire to be like and how they really feel about Paris Hilton.
How did Fool Disclosure start?
Sponaugle: A year ago we were just a handful of students left over from the CSU Improv Acting group. We organized ourselves and continued to practice. Then one of us knew the owner of the Alley Cat Cafe and got us a regular gig performing there on the second and fourth Wednesday nights. Our first show as a group was July 12, so it’s officially been a year now.
Hill: Wow, it’s been a year? I’ll be damned.
Do you have a background in comedy?
Sponaugle: We’ve all been through the Improv Acting classes with the CSU group. And I’d actually been in another spin-off improv group the year before, (called) My Car’s On Fire.
Hill: No, this is my first foray into comedy although my mom always did say that I was funny and special.
Gray: Not at all.
Comedians you hate?
Sponaugle: None that I can think of.
Giammo: I really dislike any comedian that allows bitterness into their act. There are a few around, but I’ll just leave it at that.
Hill: I hate comedians who talk about parenting. No one cares, it isn’t funny anymore. Also, any comedians who take themselves too seriously get on my nerves. I think it is imperative for comedians to laugh at themselves because if you can’t laugh at yourself, how can you expect others to?
Gray: Hate is a strong word, but I’m not a huge fan of Will Ferrell. Most everyone my age loves him, but it seems to me that his humor is very repetitive. I feel like I’m seeing the same things from him over and over again.
If you could make fun of any celebrity, who would it be, why?
Giammo: I try not to be too mean, so I won’t target anyone in particular. Politicians are easy targets. So are celebrities who take themselves too seriously or try to convince us that they are experts to whom we should all listen.
Hill: I would make fun of Bill Cosby because of his voice and how he seems to have become a very old and bitter man. I used to have this bit where when we did our game “World’s Worst” where we act out the world’s worst doctor for example, I would always throw out Bill Cosby’s name, no matter what the category is. I think also I would make fun of Robin Williams because he appears to have grown pubic hair over his entire body. I would NOT make fun of Paris Hilton because everyone does it, and I actually like her. I think she is funny. We are actually dating now.
Gray: Playing favorites is mean; everyone should be teased from time to time.
What are your day jobs?
Sponaugle: Software tester.
Giammo: Systems engineer and software tester.
Hill: I am a student and philosopher.
Gray: Student studying technical theatre. I spend a bit of time in our theatre and love every minute of it
Do you want to expand out of Fort Collins?
Sponaugle: Only in that I do want to see us get good and popular enough to start going to out-of-town improv festivals and performing.
Giammo: I think it would be fun to do an occasional festival or special performance.
Hill: Yeah, world wide baby. I want to be famous. Not necessarily for this, but for something, that is for sure.
Gray: I’m just going to go with the flow. I quite enjoy just riding the waves.
Why should people come see you?
Sponaugle: Because it’s a guaranteed good time, every show is something new and different, and you can’t get the audience participation element through any other form of entertainment.
Giammo: I second that.
Hill: Because we are crazy and uncontrolled, and it’s like a porn movie minus the porn and humor. Also, if you don’t come see us, the terrorists win. Bin Laden and France hate comedy, they said so, so come to our show and give them the middle finger by doing so.
Gray: Ah, but the real question is, why wouldn’t they? I mean, who doesn’t like a good laugh at the expense of other people?
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TO GO TO THE SHOW
Fool Disclosure
10:30 p.m. every first Friday at Nonesuch Theater, 216 Pine St. in Fort Collins
Next show is Aug. 3
8 p.m. every third Wednesday at Alley Cat Cafe, 120 1/2 W Laurel St. in Fort Collins
Next show is Aug. 15
myspace.com/fooldisclosure and youtube.com/fooldisclosure | Only registered users can write comments.
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