Going Blue

Tonight The Night Shift had a show at The Playground. We all felt decent about it. It was high energy and fun. Kind of all over the place but still good, still funny.

The first scene out of the gate was me and Molly. We were a couple celebrating our 14 month anniversary with a picnic. She had gotten me a gift which she said she spent a month's rent on. I asked her how she had paid rent. Damian tagged in as the landlord. Molly ended up on her knees in front of him and I tagged back in. There was a pause. And then I made it declared it a blowjob. That was Molly's intention when Damian tagged in and I clarified it when I tagged back in. She had given her landlord a blowjob for a months rent. In the scene I was very upset with her cheating on me and she was in love with me she would do anything for me, she just wanted to get me a very special gift.

It worked both in the scene and with the audience, it got laughs. But afterwards both of us felt kind of bad about it, kind of cheap. Blowjob jokes are funny but they are obvious, its something that's within close reach.  It also doesn't really reflect Molly and I's philosophy on sexual equality or sexual perspective. We are not the ones to really make those kind of moves because we don't like the implications.

Going blue is fine, it can be fun and effective. But be careful about relying on it too much. Be aware of how easy and obvious it can be. Be aware of the implications: putting women in a subjective role or simply miming sex acts or straight guys kissing, all for a joke. What does that say about you? Your team?

Molly and I weren't uncomfortable with the scene. We both played it and we both had fun. We may have slightly regretted it afterward but we are close enough friends and good enough improvisers to pull it off.

That's not always the case.