The advertising campaign for this year’s SPOT show was unique and intriguing, with figures in fluorescent morphsuits prancing about the chapel stage, promising excitement and hilarity throughout Homecoming week. This excitement culminated during SPOT, Houghton’s own comedy and variety show. Yet, any semblance of anticipation for the show was marred by the fifty minute wait the audience endured before the event. Still, despite technical difficulties, delightful roars of applause echoed through the chapel as the projector booted up, signalling the occasion would continue on as planned. Fall SPOT 2015 turned out to be one of the most consistent SPOTs yet.
This year’s SPOT hosts Meagan Palm and Breanne Smithley carried out their hosting duties diligently over the course of the show. Though there wasn’t a consistent theme connecting their between-act dialogues, , they were probably the most successful hosts the college has had in a few years. Their material was light and quite funny, garnering significant laughs from the audience. Whether they were blending Dorito-ketchup milkshakes, dressing up as elderly women, or inventing Christian curse words, they remained a staple of good natured humor that kept the crowd interested and entertained amidst grapefruit jokes and “so-bad-they’re-good” puns.
Houghton’s recurring Weekly Update and Thank You Notes segments both had appearances on Saturday night, and the material was only moderately humorous. The continuing focus on Sodexo policy and Houghton dating life are to be expected at this point, but there was a noticeable absence of fresh ideas. Between school-specific Tinder gags and references to our food supplier’s contract expiring, there was little material that the crowd felt fully comfortable laughing with, the exception being Pam announcing a run for presidency. The Thank You Notes section was well-intentioned and Jackson Wheeler and Garret Kirkpatrick ad-libbed playfully in-between readings, but overall the segment was more derivative than funny.
Video submissions this semester were well crafted and engaging. Music majors made a claim to personhood and relatability in a short film that playfully addressed stereotypes. Intramural teams dubbed over themselves in a hilarious Bad Lip Reading-style segment, and Roommate Confessions interviewed roommates acting as caricatured versions of each other. Each video successfully mined cheerful reactions from the crowd.
The quality of musical performance at an event like SPOT can be incredibly varied in terms of general talent portrayed, but this semester music was the highlight of the show. Two surprisingly charming Taylor Swift parodies lined the roster, while piano, bagpipes, harp, and drum instrumentals roused the crowd and instilled an overall atmosphere of excitement. The Houghton Singers closed out the night admirably with a cover of Pharrell William’s Happy in their finely tuned acapella brilliance.
This year’s Homecoming SPOT saw a mostly pleasing selection of comedic, video, and musical acts that scored genuine laughs with the crowd, hopefully marking a return to consistency for the show. If Pam is truly running for presidential office, she’s going to have one heck of a following.