Well-known in Indian circles, especially among the younger generation, Russell Peters is a Canadian Indian comedian who has recently risen from being heard on the internet. He even referred to this phenomenon at his show at Wellesley College this last Friday, stating “Well, I don’t know what else to tell you since you’ve probably downloaded me on the internet.” And while this may sound arrogant, it is certainly true, and he is definitely very funny.

Brought to Wellesley College as part of Asian-American Awareness Month by the coordination of several clubs on campus, Russell Peters’ show was one of a series of events held to celebrate and bring about awareness about Asian American issues. And Peters definitely explores issues about race, often making us think about them in a new and more comfortable way through laughter.

From the standard jokes about airline service (but with a twist, saying that there exists an airline worse than Air India – Air Canada) to wondering at his parents’ choice to give him an American name, he kept the crowd entertained with jokes that everyone understood. Perhaps that’s what so great about Peters and other successful comedians – the ability to take everyday life, or general knowledge and make them funny, to see the humor in our own psychology and social assumptions.

A large part of his act consisted of ethnic jokes, but didn’t always target Indians – he often poked fun at other nationalities, particularly the Chinese. But while they seemed to be about specific groups, the jokes always had an element that everyone recognized, sometimes finding them across all cultures, rather then the one he was speaking about at the time.

Of course, there were references to lines that anyone who has seen clips of Peters on the internet would have found hysterical, such as “Be a Man!” in his trademark Chinese accent. His excellent impressions of a variety of accents, exaggerated enough to be funny while still recognizable, powered the hour-long show, and he was very well received by the almost entirely female, college-student crowd. And aside from obligatory jokes about the event being held at a women’s college, there was very little sexism in his routine.

In the end, Russell Peters brought a show to Wellesley that was thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t hear anyone who didn’t receive it well, especially remarkable because the auditorium was fully packed with a very mixed crowd in terms of race, with people sitting in the aisles and on the stairs. Peters deserves the reputation he has, as a Really Funny comedian. It’s about time we all laughed.

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