The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 21, 1995, Page 4, Image 4
4
Carrot Top In concert.
Humor i
America's newest funny
man is coming to Columbia
and we've got the dirt.
BEN PILLOW Asst. Fetures Editor
From his days as a marketing
major at Florida Atlantic University
to features in Rolling Stone and
People magazine, comedian Carrot
Top says he comes up with new material
in the simplest way he knows?
visiting fabric stores ("They have
material, it's easy").
America's favorite Wendy's girl
look-alike will be performing at the
Township Auditorium this Friday
night at 8 p.m. If his live show is
anything like his telephone interview
act, it will become a continuing
smorgasbord of rambunctious
observations and plays off words,
finding humor in questions as cut
and dry as "How do you come up
with new material?" Whether a natural
gift or Carrot Top's admission
to his interviewer that he had been
drinking remains trivial.
A quick tongue and knack for
turning even the most common everyday
occurrences into hilarious
episodes enhanced with self-conjured
props have established Carrot
Top, or Scott Thompson, as one
of today's most sought-after comedians.
Thompson describes his entertaining
thought process as observational.
1 try to make it topical enough
to relate to a lot of people's lives,"
Thompson said. "Say a dog humps
your leg, right, everyone has had a
dog try and hump their leg. Well Fll
come up with a pair of jeans with
some handlebars on the waist so the
dog has something to hold on to."
Current events, likewise, play a
big part in Thompson's act Take for
dal. Thompson describes a possible
prop of a briefcase with a hand coming
out of it so the senator could cop
a quick feel as he walks by a female
co-worker.
A native of Cocoa Beach, Fla.,
Thompson said his biggest break
came four years ago on "Fox Network's
Comic Strip Live," followed
by his appearance on "The Tonight
Show," which "let me get to the entire
world."
From there the shocking red hair
and Thompson's reputation only
grew, as he filled spots on the "Live
With Regis and Kathie Lee," MTVs
"Half Hour Comedy Hour" and
"Spring Break Special," Comedy
Central's "Politically Incorrect,"
thel994 Jerry Lewis Telethon, A&Fs
"Evening at the Improv" and "Comedy
on the Road." While Thompson
said his mane has always had something
to do with his act, he has never
intended it to take centerstage.
"I think my good looks have always
been the center of my act,"
Thompson said. "No, my hair has
Wm
I
Jpj -f#
n a box
always been a basic part of it, but I
don't like to rely on it..ifs just a part <
of me.
"A lot of comics who are overweight
do fat jokes, but I don't do a
lot on my hair," Thompson said.
The travel, over 200 days a year _
according to Thompson, is at once
the most fun and most difficult aspect
of his profession.
"I get to see a lot of different
things, a lot of different places and
a lot of people laugh," Thompson
said. "I work in a very happy environment
and thafs pretty cool." But,
at the same time it can also be very
taxing.
"It's fun, but it kills you. That
and the fact that people confuse me
with Brad Pitt all the time," Thompson
said.
And is he surprised at the magnitude
of his own success?
"Every day," Thompson said. "Tm
surprised I'm not digging a ditch
somewhere." ^
Friday's show will be Thompson's
third appearance at Township, ^
after having recently performed in ^
Columbia September 5 during a ben- a'
efit at the Comedy House. &
As for Thompson's influences ^
(other than marijuana), he named
Jonathan Winter, George Carlin ^
and Gary Shandling. But, Thomp- ^
son says he never wanted to imitate
anyone. ^
"If s more of a combination of all ^
the people," Thompson said. "Every- n
one was doing the same thing and o
I just tried to do something differ- n
ent.' n
That "something different" in- s]
eludes numerous travel trunks full w
of absurd props, which Thompson . V
normally construct himself, that t<
it card machine attached for O.J. b
Simpson's lawyers to slippers with ej
bumpers for those nighttime excursions.
n
One important key to Thompson's
act is that it really is not an I'
act at all. P
"Tm pretty much the same on- ^
stage as off" Thompson said. "That
works for me. I'm just a lot sexier *
onstage. Tm better looking from far
away."
When he's not coming up with
new jokes and inventions for his a
show, Thompson said he likes Us
tening to music, snowboarding in
the winter and throwing rocks at
rollerbladers (1 hate rollerbladers,"
Thompson conceded).
The Cartoon Network has just \
signed the "endearing mass of orange
curls and hyperactivity," ac- '
cording to the Montreal Gazette, as
host of a new morning show, Carrot
Top's A.M. Mayhem, that will de- 4but
Oct. 9 from 7-9 a.m. A book and
movie are also in the works.
ETC.
m
CHRIS DIXON Assistant Features Editor many
exism is alive and well, just ask any may ^
^ woman who has had to pay more are^f
than a man for a haircut or dry
cleaning. According to Elizabeth wome
L McAlhany, president of the Women's P?w?r
^ Student Association, sexism can be ^
found in everything from simple ^
oversights such as cat-calling and ^ a 1
i men calling women "girls", to more a ot 0
^ serious subjects such as women's fle!vai
health issues and sexual assault. table.
"Women's health issues get ignored," she said. "Not Ac
aough money is allotted for research strictly for women's _
ealth problems. Sexual assault is looked over by law B J
nforcement and the medical world. It's not a priori- II
f to end it. Other crimes are focused on more. The Ml
ates aren't decreasing and nothing seems to be done
bout it. Sexual assault can take away a woman's selfsteem.
If s physically dangerous and emotionally dan- [f3VI
erous. It's repulsive that it's looked over."
Men are not the only ones with sexist views. Women 3S H
rho are still tied to the 1950's idea of the nuclear famy
can also perpetrate sexism. tlliy
"Women who are still tied to traditional gender roles
md to have a lot of resentment towards feminism,"
IcAlhany said. "That's dangerous towards the move- fifm
lent. If one group is trying to move forward and anther
group is trying to hold them back, then no one if y?
lakes any ground. If they are happy being home- J
lakers that's fine, but don't push it on me. Women
bould have the choice to do what they want. If they MU
rant to stay home and be a homemaker, that's fine.
Whatever makes a woman happy."
) the workforce may find opportunities for success,
ut success for working women doesn't come all too ,
jsfly. ened<
"Women have almost the same opportunities as rms(??r
len," McAlhany said. "Women may have to work a as ^
cimroi
ny bit harder, but the opportunities are there.
m sure there are situations where there is unequal * (
ay, but if you see it happening, you have to do some- s^e sa
ling about it." about
All women need to be successful in the workforce "J?11re
drive and ambition, two qualities in women that about
ave been frowned upon in the past. wai^J
"When women are aggressive and go into the work>rce
it is looked down upon," McAlhany said. "There JPf3 ?
ren't always the same opportunities, but there are &
^ p AMY HAZELWOOO
L/?vf\rrc ^uscCom
li Jl I 1 wl gift from a group of
^ W CD and McKissick Mi
a free concert "Sis
f norfnrm nf TTSfl's
1 f" 1^ Thursday, Septem
1IC OVJUUL1 ;svt/s?I^e
part of the South
"Sisters of the South," a
four member female a
capeUa grou p, show8 that .eSincoajunctii
Southern History is all In Folk Crafts in Sou
the way that it's sung fe,m the Atlanta)
"We really wai
of the South' here
lation to the Hani
Deanna Kerrigar
seum Director at 1
seum.
The touring sir
-r
I Anita
I I- ; I The Gamecock HlOlfll
ASSM
women who become successful. Some women natural duty
e afraid to push and to be aggressive. Women Teopled
raid to speak up and say This is what I want'." they are ass
Alhany said politics is another area where more the idea thai
n need to get involved. If more women were in should have
ful political positions, then more attention would and they doi
en to women's issues. With all <
omen need equal representation," she said. "There hany said be
ot of men who do care about women's rights and vantage,
f women who don't. If women had more repre- "It'sdiscc
ion, then more women's issues would get on the gret being a
you get out ii
cording to McAlhany, many people are fright- as Fm telling
field of worn
MM MM WL hesitant abo
UllMrN you^r
I mm W organization
' MM W W ualAssault
e almost the same opportunities
lien. Women may have to work a
discuss worn
bit harder, but the opportunities It's not excli
xu > XX. u they don't w
uicre. i in sure uicre are si ma- give it a cha
s where there is unequal pay, but w?m^
)u see it happening, you have to al?ngway>
?rr ? women are i
i something about it. "Everyone
? m :l * I !1 AIMI: MI k'BI SlSSfto
PRESIDENT OF THE WOMEN'S STUDENT ASSOCIATION m
iway from the women's movement because of t^e onportu
iceptions of feminism, including stereotypes such
feminists hate men and all feminists are female ^ ^.n
mists. Accordini
sncourage people to think about women's roles," ... wv>^
id. "Don't let a word scare you off from learning ^ wc
women's roles. I try to be fair. I don't dislike 8m?A 1 * f,
When women make universal generalizations , d "V
men, it hurts everyone. My approach is that I f esai ' ,
equality, not female superiority." 8
hen women achieve power, whether it be in pol- , on* J
r in the workforce, they are seen in a negative * _ e .
tecause they are thought to be going against their sa^and
Staff Writer ditional gospel, bluegrass, and Ap ?
- - nolopViian mnnntain music. The gTOUD
nunity win receive a ?
Southern folk singers is made up of four different ensembles:
lseum in the form of a four-member gospel a capella group
ters of the South" will named DVine, a five-member bluegrass
Longstreet Theater band called The New Coon Creek Girls,
iber 21 at 7 p.m. and a story-teller and Appalachian balSouth"
performs as ladeer named Sheila Kay Adams,
ern Arts Fedration, D'Vine, a group which originated in
ifferent Southern Cul- Atlanta, relates the history of African
The USC concert at American slavery through songs origied
by McKissick Mu- nally sung by slaves, and explains how
mi with "Handed On: the songs pertained to slave life. The a
thern Life" exhibition capella group began their singing in
Sistory Center. church choirs, and their style depicts
ited to bring "Sisters traditional African American gospel.
i because of their re- The New Coon Creek Girls, estabied
On' exhibit," said lished in 1979, is one of the only female
i, the Assistant Mu- bluegrass bands heard today. The group
JSCs McKissick Mu- plays bluegrass much like their predecessors,
The Coon Creek Girls, who pertgers
will perform tra- formed in the 1930s throughout Ohio
Thursday, September 21,1995
you've heard about
Hill and Clarence
is, but how much
u really know about
EOT
r.
on't understand powerful women because
ertiveMcAlhany said. "It goes against
t women should be nurturers and women
maternal instinct. They don't understand
l't know how to deal with it."
)f the forces of sexism hard at work, McAl
ling a woman does not put her at a disadluraging
sometimes," she said. "I don't rewoman.
I know things are different once
lto the real world. I hope I can be as strong
r everyone else to be. I want to go into the
en's studies and a lot of universities are
ut that. When you believe in something,
it. Get involved with forces of change."
done a good job dealing with sexism through
is such as Women Student Services, SexPrograms,
and Women's Student Associding
to McAlhany, Women's Student Aslot
extremely radical or politically driven,
ice where women can come together and
en's issues," she said. "Men are welcome,
isive. A lot of women are put off because
rant to be feminist. I wish people would
nee and stop by. It's just a place where
;ome together and learn."
iv said the women's movement has come
but equality will not be achieved until v
ecognized as equals in the workforce and
e has to realize that men and women should
3 equals," she said. "Women should have
do whatever thev want. All npnnle Hpsptvp
ization to get women upset and to protest
ley don't understand. I want them to have
nity to learn things and formulate their
3 about the way things should be. People
k about what their stand is going to be."
I to McAlhany, sexism will never go away
men and men acknowledge there is a probwomen
fail to acknowledge the problem,"
ftien they acknowledge it, they accept it
it's the way it's always been. Don't get
Stand up for yourself. Men shouldn't act
jlem doesn't exist. Be aware of what you
n if what you do is sexist. Think of what
do. Don't ignore the problem."
and Kentucky.
The New Coon Creek Girls play unusual
instruments such as the slawhammer
banjo and the stringed Spanish dobro.
Together they create exuberant
bluegrass music with a country sound.
Sheila Kay Adams, a seventh-generation
singer from Sodom, N.C., sings
ballads and tells stories cf the Appalachian
Mountains, both talents she learned
from her great aunt. Adams'vocal style
is strong and unadorned, and she also
nlowa a flvo o+i-incr hnnin with fl Hrnn
JS1UJ0 U "?V WV* " **? ? ? "f
thumb style known as "clawhammer."
She can be seen playing in the 1992 feature
film release "Last of the Mohicans."
For more information regarding "Sisters
of the South" or the "Handed On"
exhibit, contact McKissick Museum, at
i 803-777-7251.