By Elyse Trevers
He appears rough and craggy, homespun, simply clad in a red and black plaid shirt and black jeans. However, as soon as Collin Quinn opens his mouth, it’s apparent how intelligent, insightful, and well-read he is. Speaking quickly like the New Yorker he is, Brooklyn native Quinn shares a bleak outlook for our country in an hysterically funny way. He attacks the current political divide in our country and warns about an impending civil war — unless we change.
The audience, composed of loyal fans of mixed ages, cheered his entrance and laughed uproariously at every joke. In his latest one-man show, “Red State, Blue State” at the The Minetta Lane Theater, the comic addressed us for about 80 minutes, noting that the country is divided — “like vegans vs. steak eaters.”
Quinn is obviously a student of history and quotes the founding fathers, referring to the Constitution. He makes interesting comparisons. He notes that “free speech was never meant one be electric; it was meant to be acoustic.” According to the comedian, America has abused the rights and freedoms Jefferson and Adams established. “Free speech is like drunks at a wedding, grabbing the mic.”
He refers back to the time before the advances of technology and later bemoans the abuses of technology. However, he also notes that AI, which is perfect, will someday replace us. When he says, “my phone has given me more pleasure and information than any of my friends,” several in the audience nodded in assent. He complains that we pushed everything too far. “Free speech — everyone’s a critic but no one has an answer.” Likewise, our civilization took sex too far, and “Equality is another bad idea.”
Though obviously not a Trump supporter, who he described in a few choice words, Quinn takes pains to explain empathetically the views of Trump’s base, and why people support him.
Good comedians focus not only on the language of the joke, but also on the delivery. Timing and cadence matter, Quinn appears somber and introspective. He notes that it’s important to be on the right side of history and describes Christopher Columbus, who for 500 years was on the “right side” only to lose ground in the last few years. He predicts that Valentine’s Day will go next. “Eros shooting arrows brings up issues of consent.” Referring to ancient Greek, Jesus and Christianity, he actually “suggests” that we go back to the concept of city-states where, like in ancient Greece, each city-state reflected a specific personality.
The culmination of “Red State, Blue State” is a verbal trip across the United States and he dispatches each state with a one-liner. “Arizona is all sand and no beaches — a litter box.” The comments about the local states resonated quite heartily with the audience. “New Jersey is a bad idea that continues.”
With wit, historical framework and gravitas, Quinn takes his audience on an historical and geographical tour of the country. He makes us laugh while making us think about the issues that divide the country. Laugher can connect and heal us. Maybe we need a comedian rather than a politician to run the country. Colin Quinn in 2020!
