Barnum 008 was packed with people Wednesday night, but no one was talking about Biology. Instead, the woman at the front of the room rocketed between seemingly disconnected subjects, constructing a comic line that included vegans, national holidays, the Latin Explosion, lesbian coat-check lines and, The Bachelor. Latina lesbian comedian Marga Gomez crafted an entertaining, successful comedy show by both celebrating and transcending her own identities and those of the audience.
The Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) and Tufts Transgendered Lesbian Gay Bisexual Collective (TTLGBC) collaborated to bring Gomez to campus. According to ALAS executive board member Juliana Zapata, this was the first time the two groups have worked together. She said she was pleased with the turnout and the audience's response to the comic.
Indeed, the crowd of approximately 125 students, faculty members, and staff reacted enthusiastically to Gomez's witty physical and verbal humor. In turn, Gomez seemed thrilled to be performing for ALAS and TTLGBC, noting that "if they mated, I would be their child." She adeptly addressed topics relevant to both the LGBT and Latino communities, and tied the two together in riffs about coming out to Latino parents, gender transitioning, and Ricky Martin.
Gomez also played off of experiences common to everyone. Early in the show, she feigned indignation about the concept of Daylight Savings Time, blaming it for destroying relationships and demanding, "we're not farmers, why should we play by their rules?" When three students walked into the show late, Gomez welcomed them and asked if they had forgotten to set their clocks ahead. Other well-crafted riffs about bed and breakfasts, raves, and salsa dancing in Canada appealed to the crowd as a group of young people regardless of sexuality or ethnicity.
I was particularly impressed with Gomez's ability to inject social commentary into her act without seeming pedantic or losing her comedic edge. She criticized The Bachelor for its portrayal of women and then joked that "it makes me so proud to be gay." She also turned her wit toward the Bible. In what may have been her most dynamic riff, she talked about rewriting passages of Bible to celebrate queer identity and protect women's rights. In these two instances, as in the rest of the show, Gomez demonstrated an effective comedic rhythm and control of the audience.
A few of the comic's jokes did go astray. A rant about canon balls fell flat and the audience seemed ambivalent about Gomez's description of straight male flight attendants. Gomez showed her skill as a performer by moving quickly past these misfires and pulling the audience back into her grasp. In fact, it quickly became obvious that Gomez's ability to read and interact with her audience is one of her strengths. She transitioned easily from her set routine to impromptu discussions about everything from the nightlife in Medford to an audience member's t-shirt.
At one point during her routine, Gomez said that she wanted to get a "reading on the audience." She asked the audience to clap if they liked ladies, then repeated the question for dudes, and then for bisexuals. For the people who did not clap at all, she asked, "And who just hates people?" The way she framed the questions allowed audience members to celebrate their sexual identities, and the sharp punch line guaranteed that the crowd shared a communal laugh. Gomez transcended identity politics with fresh, comedic insight into ethnicity, sexuality, telenovelas, and "springing ahead."
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