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Printer-Friendly ModeComic visits Saginaw
Steven Wright's deadpan style entertains at Temple Theatre
March 20, 2006 —
Dressed all in black, sporting a derby and a full beard, comedian Steven Wright stepped onto the stage Saturday night at the Majestic Temple Theatre in downtown Saginaw. The lights dimmed, the spotlight shone down onto the stage, and Wright immediately went into his routine with no introduction. Once he began, he sped his way through joke after joke at lightning speed, rarely pausing in between.
Known by many as "the guy on the couch" from the movie Half Baked, Wright may not be a household name like Jerry Seinfeld, but it is probably safe to say that everyone has heard at least one of his jokes.
Wright's unusual method of delivery has become his trademark, as he spouts a string of one- and two-line jokes in a dry, monotone voice lacking any emotion. Shuffling slowly as the spotlight follows, stopping to cover his face while leaning on the microphone stand, Wright speaks his jokes like he just woke up and stumbled on stage.
But it is all just part of his character - and part of his appeal. His deadpan delivery sometimes makes his jokes all the more hilarious, evident by the nearly-constant laughter in the crowd. And unlike some of the more popular stand-up comics of today such as Larry the Cable Guy and Dave Chappelle, Wright rarely goes R rated with his material.
He forms many of his jokes from ridiculous situations that he supposedly encounters.
"I was driving past the gas station and there were two signs in the window - Help Wanted and Self Service," he utters into the microphone. "So I went in and hired myself."
The English language is also a prime target for Wright, who makes good use of double meanings and plays on words. "One of my friends is on the Ouija Board of Directors," he proclaims.
These are the types of jokes that have become standard issue for Wright, who has perfected this type of humor over his twenty-plus-year career. A simple search for Steven Wright on Google will yield dozens of sites featuring quotes of one-liners from the comedian's career, some of which he still includes in his act, like "What's another word for thesaurus?"
But perhaps the most noticeable message that Wright tries to convey in his comedy is the fact that many people find him a little strange. A lot of his jokes end with people asking him, "What the hell is wrong with you?" But the audience Saturday didn't seem to care about his mental state - they just wanted to hear more, and as they cheered him on he came back with, "I'm insane - you guys think it's a show."
Wright was born in New York but attended Emerson College in Boston. His comedy career took off in the eighties, and he was nominated for a Grammy for his album I Have a Pony. Aside from this, little biographical information is readily available about the comic. In fact, his own Web site sums up his entire life in five sentences, beginning with "I was born" and concluding with "The End."
Add to his shadowy past the fact that his Hollywood projects are few and far between these days - he has appeared in two movies since 2000 - and one may get the image of a rather elusive comic who is past his prime. But a comedian should not be judged on the number of movies he makes or even the number of stops on his tour. What matters is that he can still entertain, and Wright certainly holds his own for the time he is on stage.
"I was driving in my car," he says, "and I saw a man standing on the side of the road holding a sign that said Heaven. So I hit him."
And for just a moment it is almost plausible, almost believable that this actually happened. But as Wright stands there in one of his brief pauses without so much as a smirk crossing his face, it becomes clear that he is only joking. Because that is what he does - what he has been doing for half his life. And he is still that good at it.