Word rippled through the student body Thursday when Student Entertainment Events announced that Joel McHale of Community and The Soup will headline the annual homecoming comedy show.
McHale, 42, is known for hosting The Soup on E! channel and for his starring role in the NBC cult hit Community. The show is part of the university’s homecoming festivities and will be held in Cole Field House on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. — the first weekend homecoming show in the past few years.
McHale was selected from SEE survey feedback, the typical method for selecting comedians. SEE released the news before Bill Nye’s presentation Thursday.
“Joel is definitely someone who the campus has been asking for for a long time,” said Ben Stryker, SEE’s comedy director. “And with the sixth season of Community coming out, his name has never been more relevant.”
The past year has been a big one for McHale. He hosted the 2014 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, received an Emmy nomination for his work on The Soup and filmed A Merry Friggin’ Christmas with Robin Williams, set to release in November.
McHale’s fan base is a small but loyal following, mirroring the fan bases of his television shows. Some students who were asked about McHale’s campus visit didn’t know who he was, but those who did were excited.
“I just think he’s hilarious,” said freshman kinesiology major Jackie Clauser, a fan of The Soup. “The way he speaks is very dry and monotone, and it’s just really funny.”
McHale follows homecoming comedy acts including Jim Gaffigan in 2013, Craig Robinson in 2012 and Aziz Ansari in 2011.
“He was really funny,” sophomore finance and accounting major Grace Jones said of Gaffigan. “But he talked about families and having babies and stuff that we couldn’t really relate to.”
Students know McHale from television, said junior biology and linguistics major Neomi Rao, but aren’t too familiar with his stand-up work.
SEE decided on McHale’s campus show last spring, Stryker said.
“He’s always been someone we’ve considered for the past few shows,” Stryker said. “There were some other names, but at the end of the day, Joel McHale lined up best with what we thought would be the best show.”
Tickets for the Homecoming Comedy Show go on sale starting Sept. 11 at umdtickets.com and the Stamp Student Union ticket office . For members of the university community, floor seats are $15 and bowl seats are $10; for the general public, floor seats are $35 and bowl seats are $25.
