Photo by Sydney Wilcoxson
The University of Kentucky’s Singletary Center was filled with thunderous laughter on the evening of March 26th. Comedian and star of the 2017 movie Girl’s Trip, Tiffany Haddish captivated the audience of mostly college students as she joked about being famous, spoke from the heart about finding happiness and spilled some major celebrity tea.
Thanks to the wonderful work of the University of Kentucky’s Student Activities Board, roughly 1,500 people were “graced by the presence of Tiffany Haddish,” as put by a young woman who introduced Ms. Haddish and her openers. But the people in the audience that night were more than graced by Haddish’s presence; they were given a raunchy yet intensely entertaining insight into her life.
Haddish spent the majority of time on stage recalling wild and memorable encounters with other celebrities, ranging from Meryl Streep to Drake’s father. She addressed the recent media story about a celebrity who bit Beyonce at a party, but even after the audience begged for an answer, she would not reveal the identity of the celebrity chomper, “I’m gonna let Beyonce tell that part.”
A major part of Haddish’s appeal, which she made clear during her show, is that she is very relatable. She gushed about meeting Oprah and how much of a hardcore fan she is. She vented about the idea that celebrities should be able to wear an expensive outfit more than once without being torn apart by the media (i.e., THE DRESS).
She gossiped like she was at a high school sleepover. Her recollection of how it felt to meet Steven Spielberg mirrored exactly how I felt when I met Lexington’s superstar meteorologist Bill Meck. Most of what Haddish had to say was relatable on some level (you know, aside from her partying with Beyonce multiple times).
Haddish also frequently interacted with the audience, pausing several times to ask for questions. She asked the audience for advice about hosting the upcoming MTV Awards. Toward the end of the show, she took a moment to look at a poster an audience member made for her and posed for a picture with it. Haddish’s interaction with the audience made her persona feel more genuine. She made up jokes on the spot about things audience members said or did. She fed off the energy of the audience as much as the audience did from her.
Haddish knew how to get real. Near the end of the show, Haddish “cursed” the audience with happiness. She challenged everyone in the audience to seek happiness and spread it to others. “Spread happiness like Usher spreads Herpes,” she quipped, “Take care of your soul. Love yourself.”
Her show was compelling as well as side-splitting from start to finish. Between her epic dance moves and killer jokes, Haddish has no shortage of talent. She is a force to be reckoned, and one the world will likely be hearing about more and more.