Nick Offerman to perform comedy show “American Ham” at UCLA’s Royce Hall
Nick Offerman, who plays Ron Swanson on “Parks and Recreation,” will bring his comedy act, “American Ham,” to Royce Hall Saturday night. Photo courtesy of Mike Mitchell
By Nic Curcio
Sept. 28, 2012 1:22 a.m.
Poetry about bacon. Woodworking tutorials. A reading of tweets from young female celebrities.
A simple YouTube search for “Nick Offerman” yields all of the above results, most of which showcase Offerman’s signature delivery style that his fans have grown to love: his calm yet stern demeanor, dry wit and monotone voice.
Nick Offerman will perform at UCLA’s Royce Hall tomorrow night, in a comedy show entitled “American Ham.” The show will feature anecdotes, songs on guitar and some minor nudity.
Offerman said that “American Ham” will give an overall morale boost to students who need the extra pep.
“Members of our modern society who find themselves depressed and listless, or find their passions in life unfulfilled by modern technology and social networking, will receive 10 tips for prosperity from me at the show. It’s somewhat of a jackass’ guide to the good life,” Offerman said.
Nancy & Beth, a duo comprised of actresses Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt, will open the show for Offerman.
“If the UCLA student body likes foxy and talented young songstresses, then they will love Stephanie Hunt. Everything is great about their performance, except that the show goes steadily downhill once they leave the stage,” Offerman said.
Hunt, Mullally and Offerman also star together in the upcoming film “Somebody Up There Likes Me.” The film first premiered this year at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, and was later picked up by Tribeca Films. Offerman plays one of three individuals caught up in an awkward love triangle.
Offerman’s most widely known role is that of Ron Swanson, on TV’s “Parks and Recreation.” Swanson is director of the Pawnee Parks Department on the show, but more importantly, he is a hyper-masculine libertarian who enjoys steaks and bacon. The character has gained additional fame for his larger-than-life mustache.
Alexis De Lucia, a member of UCLA’s Hooligan Theatre Company and Spring Sing’s Company, said that Offerman’s style of comedy is often interesting to look at from a gender standpoint.
“I loved the segment on Conan called “˜Nick Offerman Reads Tweets from Young Female Celebrities,'” said De Lucia, a fourth-year Anthropology student. “It’s a joke based around the intensely masculine Offerman actually thinking, “˜It’s a blue nail polish kind of a day.’ The joke is based around a juxtaposition of gender identity which is kind of like
how it’s funny when a man wears a dress.”
One quickly finds that Offerman, once researched, shares a shockingly high number of similarities with the character of Swanson, such as the fact that they are both carpenters, play saxophone and thoroughly enjoy all types of meat. Writers of “Parks and Recreation” based many of the character’s qualities on Offerman’s actual skills and personality.
Offerman recently took part in an “Ask Me Anything,” which is an online, user-based interview through a website called Reddit. Once the most-voted questions reach the top of the page, they are promptly answered by the interviewee in text form. Even President Barack Obama participated in an “Ask Me Anything,” only days earlier.
One of the top-voted questions for Offerman, submitted by Reddit user TripSmick, asked for advice on the best way to cook bacon and eggs, to which Offerman replied, “In an iron skillet, over a fire of oak at your cabin.”
As Offerman answered questions, one by one, users discovered that he enjoyed implementing his sense of humor whenever possible.
Offerman’s intensely dry humor is beloved by his fans. Evan Flores, a third-year Economics student, said that students who aren’t familiar with Offerman’s delivery style will still enjoy the show.
“His sense of humor is very dry, which I love. My favorite show is “˜The Office,’ so I’m used to that painfully dry, awkward humor, which Offerman almost always emphasizes.” Flores said. “He’s very good at making people laugh, and even if students haven’t seen him on “˜Parks and Recreation,’ they can still enjoy his clever wit and banter.”
