By Chelsea LoCascio
Opinions Editor
Some students were left behind as others pushed their way to the front of the line and into the Mayo Concert Hall — just for the chance to relive catchphrases, impressions and jokes from their childhood.
Comedian and actor Dave Coulier, best known for his eight-season gig as Joey Gladstone on the television show “Full House,” treated students to a comedy-based lecture, followed by a Q&A session on Friday, Nov. 13.
“We were backstage and the guy goes ‘All right, we’ve got a full house.’ I see what you did there,” Coulier said, aware of the seats packed with “Full House” fans. “Wow, look at this, some of you have little ‘Full House’ thought bubbles above your heads. ‘Is Uncle Jesse going to be here, too? What about Danny Tanner and the girls? Kimmy Gibbler? Are you going to do your ‘cut it out’ thing?”
Coulier is used to answering questions about the show, like when a man came up to him and asked if he actually knew his fellow cast members. Coulier responded, “No, we’re all holograms.”
But Coulier answered the question on everyone’s mind: What about “Fuller House,” the revamped version of the classic show coming to Netflix? According to Coulier, the cast just wrapped filming of the first season on Thursday, Nov. 12.
“It’s been so much fun,” Coulier said. “I’m here to report that the girls are all still beautiful. So is John Stamos… (and) Bob Saget is still there pretending that he still enjoys being there.”
He joked about how Saget’s R-rated comedy shocks “Full House” fanatics, calling him his “filthy Jewish sister.” The typical “Full House” fan cannot sit through Saget’s act without wondering how he could be so inappropriate after spending so much time around three young girls, Coulier said.
Coulier himself is known for his clean comedy and was shocked when his comedy bits were getting some “ohs” from disapproving students in the audience. The first negative reaction came after Coulier said he would let the audience know his joke was over by imitating the sound of a tuba. He proceeded to make a joke about tuba players needing to be strong, or else they will tip over under the weight of their instrument. The comedian called out those audience members’ reactions to his harmless joke.
When it happened again to a cannibalism jest, Coulier pointed out some students on the balcony and equated them to the two angry, old men on “The Muppet Show,” Statler and Waldorf.
In an interview with The Signal, Coulier went in-depth into why fewer comedians are playing at colleges because of overly sensitive audiences.
“I think you have to laugh at yourself, and I think it’s a shame because I’ve had to cut back certain material that was really funny,” Coulier said. “I think people are so hyper-aware of their surroundings that humor sometimes gets mistaken for something really critical or racist. I think we need to laugh at ourselves because there are big differences between different cultures.
“I think once you stop laughing at yourself and the cultural differences between us, I think that gets a little bit dicey and a little bit dangerous because suddenly, everything is a very serious topic, and life’s not that serious.”
Coulier made the audience forget about being serious with impressions of Matthew McConaug-“hey my shirt’s off,” a familiar sounding Bill Clinton and what he called “Pill” Cosby — an impression he recalled doing during “Full House” that would not be acceptable now.
During the lecture, Coulier noticed people trying to snag a picture or video of his performance and let students know he thought they had a problem.
“People love taking selfies. Shouldn’t there be a limit (and) if you do go beyond your selfie limit, you have to go into some kind of counseling? It would be called me-hab,” Coulier said.
With a knack for embarrassing the audience, Coulier also enjoyed humiliating himself and his son on stage. He recalled the time his dad video-recorded when he pooped in the tub, and how his own son could not wipe himself properly for the first few years of his life.
The dirty jokes did not end there, as passing gas was a hot topic. He talked about his own traumatic colonoscopy as well as when he witnessed a miracle — a man’s fart so powerful it triggered the automatic paper towel dispenser. Coulier blamed his immaturity on his dad and nine uncles.
“I pulled more fingers than an orthopedic surgeon… it messed me up,” Coulier said.
He discussed how this relationship with his uncles shaped his sense of humor. Coulier said his bond with his own son was more complicated, such as the knowledge-gap between them on video games, which is evident when Coulier leads his avatar into a wall and accidentally blows himself up.
“My son, he makes fun of me right to my face. I hope you don’t do that to your parents,” Coulier said.
Full of advice, Coulier turned serious to bestow some hope on the students.
“You are the future. I want you guys to do really well because the world’s a weird place right now, so I hope that you lead us to a better place,” Coulier said. “Every time I’m at a college, I always have to remind myself that you guys can do a way better job than we’ve done, so I hope you do.”
With that, he ended the lecture with a few upbeat tunes on the harmonica.
For those who missed out, Coulier’s musical talents, voices and jokes can be found on past episodes of “Full House” and the upcoming 2016 series “Fuller House,” where he will reprise his role as the iconic character.
In his interview with The Signal, Coulier said he will never grow tired of being Gladstone.
“Playing that character has given me a great life. It’s afforded me a lot of opportunity,” Coulier said. “It’s a character I’m very proud of because I think Joey has put a lot of smiles on a lot of people’s faces over the years.”
