“Welcome to Worcester,” said poet Bill MacMillan, hosting the Worcester Poetry Slam from the stage of the now-defunct Java Hut, “the city that means well.” To be fair, MacMillan used the joke for other cities, too – mostly Providence – but for poet, humorist and generally funny guy David Macpherson, that's still the joke that best sums up the city. “It's a classic,” says Macpherson.
And it's true: For all that Worcester is said to have something of a self-image problem, the fact is the city has a great sense of humor, and takes itself far less seriously than, ahem, the larger city to its east. Perhaps then that's why that, as the pandemic begins to abate, the comedy scene has been one of the first ones to come out swinging with some really big shows, including Orlando Baxter Friday and Saturday at the WooHaHa and Bob Marley (the other one) at Rascals May 12 and 13. With all this funny business abounding, and a lot of new faces learning their way around a city that's been quieter than usual for the past year, we figured it was a good time to ask local comedians, humorists and generally funny people, “What's your favorite joke about Worcester?”
For example, both local comedians Bryan O'Donnell and Mairéad Connolly remember a joke Brandon Vallee made one night at Coney Island Hot Dogs. “Worcester is a city full of angry sailors without an ocean,” recalls O'Donnell. “It doesn’t literally make sense,” says Connolly,” but really captures a certain essence.”
Indeed. A lot of people's favorite jokes dealt with the city's self image. Mairéad Connolly's husband, Shaun Connolly, remembers a joke “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver made a few years back at Clark University: “Clark University looks like Hogwarts if it was in the set of 'The Wire,'” quipped Oliver, much to Shaun Connolly's delight. “I mean, in less than 15 words he perfectly encapsulates Clark and its relationship to Main South even more than he probably initially knew.”
Comedian Maurice Smith says, “Worcester is Massachusetts' witness program. Cat do something in Boston, where they go? Worcester.”
Drag Queen Victoria Obvious' favorite joke about Worcester comes from local chanteuse and comedian Nikki Luparelli: “What’s something you never hear from people in Worcester?” recounts Obvious. “We’re just here on vacation.” Obvious says that, “I find it funny because when you ask people what brings them to the area, you never get that answer.”
For her part, Luparelli says she sees herself as an ambassador for Worcester. “I go to places like Brockton and Sutton and bring, like, Table Talk Pies and Polar Soda,” she says. “The gifts of our people.”
Not everyone was able to completely remember the joke they wanted to share, and others gave us jokes that would be perfectly fine on a stage but might result in a libel suit if printed in a newspaper. Comedian Lou Ramos said he couldn't remember any of them, but he says, “it was probably something Jimmy Cash said.”
Baxter, likewise, said he couldn't remember any off the top of his head, but if you saw him at his first show at WooHaHa a couple years back, you might recall some of his thoughts on Worcester's downtown redevelopment: “What do you think of downtown Worcester?” he asked a sold-out house. “They spent a lot of money,” he said, talking about the numerous renovations in the area around the Common, which include the comedy club itself. “They should have worked on the parking,” he quipped. “I had to park in Shrewsbury.”
Judging by recent stories in the Telegram & Gazette, history is evidently repeating itself with Polar Park. But perhaps the city and its relationship to humor can best be summed up by comedian Kevin H. Brady, who currently lives in New Jersey: “The only time Sigmund Freud came to the U.S. was to speak in Worcester. That’s all you need to know about us.”
Do you have a favorite joke about Worcester? Email us at wmeditor@gatehousemedia.com, and maybe we'll print some of our favorites if it's a slow news week!
The Link LonkMay 06, 2021 at 04:08PM
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'The best joke about Worcester I've ever heard': Comedians share their favorite jabs at the city (most of them) love - Worcester Mag
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