Bob Saget performs stand-up to a full house

By Mayka Mei

Bob Saget knows the limits: "That's not the kind of humor that people should doâ?¦" And he takes great care to dismiss them: "â?¦if they have dignity and decorum."

With the line forming at 5:30 p.m., the Activities Programming Board had their work cut out for them admitting ticket holders to Monday's headlining comedian.

Even with the show's marketing starting late in winter quarter, 1,150 student tickets were sold within five days, and an additional 100 tickets were sold through Ticketmaster by the day of the performance.

The comedy kicked off with comedian Ryan Stout, Boston International Comedy Competition winner and participant in the recent U.S. Comedy Arts Festival.

Touching on topics like rape and the International Special Olympics, some of Stout's self-described dark humor meant to cross the line. He had his moments, but he also seemed fully aware of the audience that he wasn't getting.

Stout categorized the audience into three groups, "A: You laugh right out loud. B: You sit there and (shakes head). C: You go, 'I support this, but not publicly. This will be funnier later when I'm alone.'"

Stout seemed more scripted, but at least he never lost track of his own beat and remained entertaining. He certainly prepped the house for what Saget calls "gallows" humor -- plus an encore.

Still, "I didn't like him as much," freshman Bettina Vinios said of Stout. But when it came to lead man Bob Saget, Vinios excitedly called his act "wicked fun."

Saget's stand-up session could hardly be considered routine. He turned out to be a man who completely thinks on his feet -- though he sometimes credited the head of his penis -- with impeccable timing that never dropped the audience.

Then he whipped outâ?¦

His guitar.

Mocking his own one-liner cameo in "Half-Baked" and blaming his contemporary anti-cardigan sweater image on an overdose of family TV work, Saget dispelled any notions of being typecast as a family guy by playing such memorable songs as "Danny Tanner was Not Gay."

Saget also crafted a number of impromptu "covers" based on audience members, mercilessly picking on the rowdier members of the crowd. Still, ever the father figure, he warned everyone, "Don't disrespect."

It was this kind of spontaneous audience interaction that made everyone in the arena feel like one big dysfunctional family. In fact, Rose Ziegler, a senior at Santa Clara, actually sat front row with both her parents. Her mother, Nellie Ziegler, 64, said she enjoyed the show, "It was completely out of character from what he'd been doing."

A good portion of Saget's stand-up is unfit for print. Think sex, drugs, internet shock sites and plenty of references to poo. Then add a mouth that would make many outside of college cringe.

Few quotes can be written without any use of ellipses and expletive-censoring asterisks, but rent the underground comedy The Aristocrats and you'll get the picture.

Sadly, Saget declined numerous public invitations to drink and hang out at the Pink Poodle. But lest students feel rejected for "Farce of the Penguins," the rest of which he was leaving to film. He said, "You know, I could tell from the moment that Ryan (Stout) took the stage that this was a very smart crowd. They're attentive, they're fun and they're kind."

Stout chimed in and said he appreciated the laid-back audience, "You know, they could have chanted 'Bob' 15 million times, but they didn't."

"And this is a really good west coast school," Saget added. "I had no idea. I enjoyed Santa Clara. It helps to make it feel like it's not work, you know? And I can just keep going."

According to APB Director Amparo Cid, Saget's commitment to the audience was one of the reasons APB delayed the show, so all the ticket holders could get inside.

"He has been one of the most professional people that I've worked with in entertainment," Cid said.

It is pointless to try to explain a comedy show to someone who didn't experience it. Suffice it to say that the evening was full of jokes and one-liners that will have Santa Clara snickering for days.

If you want the full Bob Saget effect, don't mistake a secondhand account as the real thing. Saget has played to San Jose audiences at the Improv, and Saget live is some of the best stand-up you'll ever experience. You'll know it once he reels you in. Yell out a few times and he might even make a song about you.

Too bad he couldn't stick around. After all, who wouldn't want to throw back a few with the guy from America's Funniest Home Videos? He's Danny F-ing Tanner.

Contact Mayka Mei at (408) 551-1918.