Phallically Phunny, Hardly Cocky [by Matt Baker]
Phallic humour, as base as it can seem on the surface, will always have an element of entertainment to it. It doesn’t matter what your age, gender, sexuality, or cultural/political/social demographic is, there’s a dick joke out there for you somewhere. It’s just about finding the right one, and I would argue that it’s somewhere in Jon Bennett’s Pretending Things Are A Cock.
The reason being, there’s a story behind it all. A story that has not only resulted in a one-man show, a book, a calendar, and an Internet following, but also contains tales of, occasionally unbelievable, truth, resulting in an experience that’s more than skin deep. Bennett presents with a decency that belies the pre-perceived perspective of his performance. He’s placid, charming, and most importantly; he’s very funny. He never comes across as crass or rude; his intention isn’t to offend or get in anyone’s face.
The only dysfunction with Pretending Things Are A Cock is that the title inevitably draws in the drunks while keeping the bourgeois at bay, which is a shame, because Bennett has a lot more to offer than phallic funniness – though his slideshow definitely manages to keep the cruder laughs coming. At the end of the show, Bennett benevolently publicises others and encourages the audience to take a chance on some of the lesser-known names in the Comedy Festival, and I would encourage you to the do the same. Pretending Things Are A Cock may not be the name of a show you’ve considered in your festival scheduling, but it certainly should be.
Pretending Things Are a Cock plays as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival at Montecristo until May 3. For details see Comedy Festival.
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