Robin Williams ‘busts guts’ with raunchy self-deprecation

Robin Williams knows how to make people laugh.

At the IU Auditorium on Wednesday night he gave a mature-aged audience, sprinkled with IU students, some immature things to laugh about.

The Grammy-winning comedian was supposed to perform at IU last March but had to reschedule because of open-heart surgery. He turned this risky surgery into a part of his comic routine during the show.

IU alumna and audience member Lydia Karjaka said she thinks Williams stands out because of his versatile talent.

“He’s known for his facial expressions,” Karjaka said. “He likes to move around, and he makes alien voices too.”

Williams, also an actor, has starred in various films including “Jumanji,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Flubber,” while also voicing for other movies like “Aladdin” and “Happy Feet.”

Before the performance began, funky mood music played while two projectors with Williams’ face hung from the ceiling. He walked on stage, well-prepared to make people laugh with an all-black outfit, bright-colored shoes and a handful of water bottles on a small table.

Williams received a standing ovation, and upon receiving applause, he touched his nipples.

“Sit down,” he said. “It’s so nice to have an orgasm on top.”  

Williams proceeded to make jokes about the Kinsey Institute, Bloomington and French Lick. He also mentioned that he thinks it’s funny that some hurricanes have “weak” names.  

Williams is well-known for his voices and imitations, and for part of his routine he portrayed different animals, such as cats, dogs and deer. Every different voice he used seemed to represent the animal’s personality perfectly.

“I don’t know why I make raccoons Irish, but it works,” Williams said.

He then delved into talking about the process of open-heart surgery, and how the drugs he took for the pain made him wacky. He discussed political issues, including

Obama’s election and the controversy of his name and where he was from originally.

“The moment he got elected, Caucasian guilt dropped lower than the stock market,” Williams said. He also mentioned that he thought Michelle Obama was fierce, that nobody would want to mess with her.

“She will go from ‘yes we can’ to ‘oh no you didn’t,’” he said.

Williams talked about Dick Cheney’s  ability to shoot people, as well as Sarah Palin’s sexuality. He said one thing was for sure – Cheney might try to shoot you and miss, but Palin would hit you dead on.

“The difference between her and Cheney is if she shoots you, you’re fuckin’ dead,” he said.

Williams talked about other controversial issues such as fuel efficiency (“new fuel – fuck green, go brown”), Viagra (“It’s a duel to death between your dick and your heart”) and alcoholism (“Sex with an alcoholic is like pool with a rope”).

Williams’ performance sent a universal message to the audience: It’s okay to laugh about serious issues. Audience member  Dave Compton said he likes Williams because he is natural.

“He sees things through a different prism,” Compton said. “You can relate to him. It’s gut-busting humor.”