I paid no attention to the description of Mike Birbiglia's show when I bought tickets to see him this past weekend. He could have been scheduling shows about airport pavement and I would have paid to listen...By the time I went, I had learned that the show, called My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, tells the story of his courtship with his wife, Jenny.
I wasn't expecting my faith in love and marriage to be bolstered by a comedic monologue. Especially after Mike tells the audience that he and his friend Andy successfully stopped or postponed 5 marriages after college. But in this series of flashbacks, rabbit trails, and major moments in his relationship with Jenny, there is
hilarity (seeing people makeout is "like watching a dog eat spaghetti"),
drama (of his seven reasons for being anti-marriage, he is most passionate that people should not fake religious beliefs simply to have a ceremony in a building),
empathy & sympathy (red flag #3 in a relationship...she doesn't want you to tell anyone you're dating), and
poignancy.
I didn't anticipate that four days later, I would still be thinking about this show on a meaningful level. Yes, I'm still chuckling at his description of The Scrambler, a poor choice at the fair when you want to impress a girl. And I'm shaking my head at the completely incompetent police report filed after he was T-boned by a drunk driver.
But on top of all that, I'm thinking about what love looks like. I keep hearing the very last thing he says, as he ends up choosing to marry Jenny.
I can't bring myself to spoil the ending of a fantastic show by attempting to explain the story or sharing the last statement. And maybe it's more touching to a couple of mid-twenties girls than most other people. But he is on to something - he's on to something with his motivation for marriage, and he's on to something with his brand of comedy with a touch of honesty.
This audio clip is taken from This American Life on NPR, and is where the title for his show originates.
I wasn't expecting my faith in love and marriage to be bolstered by a comedic monologue. Especially after Mike tells the audience that he and his friend Andy successfully stopped or postponed 5 marriages after college. But in this series of flashbacks, rabbit trails, and major moments in his relationship with Jenny, there is
hilarity (seeing people makeout is "like watching a dog eat spaghetti"),
drama (of his seven reasons for being anti-marriage, he is most passionate that people should not fake religious beliefs simply to have a ceremony in a building),
empathy & sympathy (red flag #3 in a relationship...she doesn't want you to tell anyone you're dating), and
poignancy.
I didn't anticipate that four days later, I would still be thinking about this show on a meaningful level. Yes, I'm still chuckling at his description of The Scrambler, a poor choice at the fair when you want to impress a girl. And I'm shaking my head at the completely incompetent police report filed after he was T-boned by a drunk driver.
But on top of all that, I'm thinking about what love looks like. I keep hearing the very last thing he says, as he ends up choosing to marry Jenny.
I can't bring myself to spoil the ending of a fantastic show by attempting to explain the story or sharing the last statement. And maybe it's more touching to a couple of mid-twenties girls than most other people. But he is on to something - he's on to something with his motivation for marriage, and he's on to something with his brand of comedy with a touch of honesty.
This audio clip is taken from This American Life on NPR, and is where the title for his show originates.
Listening to this brought back great memories of Fun City. The days of Mike live on. When I heard him say "Awesome" all I could hear was Andrew:) L
ReplyDelete