On Nov. 14 at 8:30 p.m. (well, more like 8:45 – they were late) students gathered in the Pause for comedy duo Dave and Ethan’s College Dating Coaches show. Some in the audience knew them from their online videos, which have garnered millions of views on YouTube. To others, their show was a completely new experience. Either way, their show was highly anticipated by the St. Olaf community and Dave and Ethan even tailored their show specifically for Oles. They deserved the hype.
The diverse show included musical numbers, audience participation, bad accent imitations and a fairly awkward dating game. Dave and Ethan were genuinely funny and had the audience roaring all night.
They began the show with a spot-on recreation of the typical day of a student at St. Olaf. Dave and Ethan played two stereotypical first-year girls, and went through the entire day, from eating in the Caf to going to a Pause dance. They had definitely done their research. They compared the palace that is Ellingson to the run-down mess of Kittelsby, freaked out over a sighting of John Bruer ’16, complained about the Wifi and expressed anxiety over getting “cray-cray” before a Pause dance despite the dry campus policy.
Dave and Ethan then moved on to a more serious topic: how to pick up girls. They told the audience that the only foolproof way to pick up a girl is to use an accent. Because everyone likes a foreign accent, right? Wrong. Dave and Ethan struggled with the rather obscure accents they were given by the audience – Lebanese and Czechoslovakian – but it was quite entertaining watching them try.
Next, the two asked for an audience member with a bad first date story to share it with everyone. A brave young man stepped onto the stage to share his story, which included an overeager girl and a lie he had to tell in order to get away. Dave and Ethan then reenacted the story, but twisted the ending so that instead of running away, the boy was honest with his date and told her that she made him uncomfortable. It was a hilarious, teachable moment.
Potentially the most uncomfortable part of the show was the finale: the dating game. One girl was asked onto the stage, and three men were also called up. She sat behind a screen and asked her potential suitors a series of questions, and then made her decision about who she’d most like to date. The questions ranged from “What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?” to “Show us your best dance move using your arms only.” Unfortunately for the audience, all three of the male participants were ill-prepared to answer questions on the spot. They were definitely not the best audience participants, but Dave and Ethan handled the awkwardness well and successfully diffused any tension.
Overall, the show was thoroughly enjoyable. While Dave and Ethan may not have taught audience members much about dating or love, they certainly gained some new fans here at St. Olaf.
