Saturday Night Live actress and comedian Ego Nwodim headlined Comedy Knight on Aug. 20 as part of UCF’s Pegasus Palooza Welcome Week during the first week of classes.
Best known for her sharp-sketch comedy, Nwodim opened with stand-up following her journey of “coming out” to her family as an actress rather than the physician they envisioned. Transitioning into her dating life (or lack thereof), she asked the audience if anyone was on a date. She then followed up by asking if anyone was dating at all — and was again met with silence.
Seemingly shocked and confused with a hint of disappointment, Nwodim pressed the crowd, asking them, “What’s going on at UCF?”
Students began offering explanations: “It’s scary to approach people.” “No one is loyal.” “Everyone I meet just got out of a long-term relationship.” Suddenly, the room started to feel smaller, and the comedy show transformed into an intimate conversation about the current campus dating climate.
The Dating Game
About fifteen minutes into what was “supposed” to be a one-hour set, Nwodim decided to take it upon herself to fix whatever might be broken, calling up a brave young man from the audience to ask what he was looking for in a woman.
His answers — maturity, loyalty, and intelligence — completely contradicted the crowd’s earlier assessment. When Nwodim asked if any women were “picking up what he was putting down,” a wave of volunteers jumped to be chosen. Selecting one, Nwodim brought her on stage to meet her match, and thus, a very impromptu dating game commenced.
After the two were introduced in the most natural way possible (on stage in front of an arena of their peers), they ignored chants urging them to kiss, walked off stage, seemingly exchanged numbers, and then went on to enjoy the rest of the show.
It quickly became clear that once you start playing matchmaker with college students, a stand-up set is no longer the main event. You lose the conventional flow — but somehow, you also capture the crowd’s full attention. Accepting her fate, Nwodim called up another single man to tell the stadium what he was looking for in a partner.
By the end of the game, a new “power couple” had emerged — two students who spoke multiple languages, left the stage hand-in-hand, exchanged numbers, and casually went about their business.
Nwodim used the moment to highlight a point inadvertently made: she was able to bring two pairs of strangers on stage, ask them basic icebreaker questions, and watch them skip off into the sunset like it was the most natural thing in the world.
This raised a bigger question: If students can meet each other on a jumbotron in front of a packed arena and appear calm, cool, and collected, what’s preventing them from approaching each other in class, at the supermarket, or in their dorm building?
The Trend
This finding is part of a larger discussion about Gen Z being the most single generation to date (pun intended). A recent study found that 46% of Gen Z adults reported being single, compared to 28% of Millennials.
The trend begins in high school, with data showing that by 2023, the percentage of American teenagers in their senior year who had dated in the past year dropped to 45%, compared to 80% in 2000.
I’m reluctant to jump on the bandwagon of blaming yet another problem on COVID-19, so what’s really going on?
When given the opportunity, the crowd was more than eager to test their luck at finding a potential partner. It seems that we do want to be dating, but a combination of dating app fatigue and fear of rejection has pushed us toward being stuck in a “situationship.” Even after admitting feelings for one another, vulnerability is still optional. It’s the perfect solution for a generation that likes to appear nonchalant, at least until a celebrity comedian shows up on campus, handpicks a few “lucky” volunteers, and suddenly it’s socially acceptable to try out dating.
As a generation immersed in social media and the next big trend, we often become more willing to be vulnerable once something is celebrated and broadcast, perhaps because that’s when it feels safest.
Ending on a more serious note, Nwodim encouraged the crowd to ask at least one person out this year. Her show may not have gone according to plan, but it turned out to be the perfect demonstration UCF and all college students needed to start their semesters. Even if we choose to take away nothing else from the show, we learned that a college dating game with Ego Nwodim as host would make the perfect next series for our generation.