Cow tipping was one of the many hilarious issues pondered at the latest 909 Comedy Series performance held in Watkins Auditorium last Thursday night.

Alexandra McHale entertained the crowd of college students with her fresh take on many popular southern jokes. Thursday night’s performance was her third here at UTM.

She is a nationally recognized comedian, having performed on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and the Comedy Central show Premium Blend. She has also appeared on VH1 shows, including I Love the 80’s.

McHale involved members of the audience for her routine when asking them questions and occasionally poking fun at some who confessed to cow tipping, or as she referred to it, “cow beating.”

McHale’s audience laughed immensely while she spoke with her trademark gutsy style and sassy tone. She satirized things from college dorm room awkwardness to the enormity and irony of Wal-Mart stores across America to the stereotypes surrounding her own Irish descent.

Some of the audience favorites included her descriptions of small-town, immature cheerleaders and growing up with embarrassing parents. McHale recanted her adventures in a small West Virginia town where she visited a haunted house off campus from an incredibly creepy and “hick-infested” college.

Some of her funnier jokes revolved around the absurdity of horror movies and her obsession with ghosts. McHale also made fun of the arrogant one-uppers, people she meets constantly in her circle of friends. She spoke about “cattle cruelty” that goes on in small towns and amusing stereotypes surrounding college couples. She also spoke of the hilarity of drunken college students and their follies in public, and the ridiculousness of nicknames for people with the weirdest hang ups.

“I thought they were a very warm audience.,” McHale said after her performance. “They were great. I like performing down in the south.” “One thing I liked is that she has been on so many TV shows,” said Natalie Carroll, a sophmore Graphic Design major from Linden. “The show tonight was really funny. I liked the southern jokes even though I’m as southern as can be.”

“I learned not to judge the comic before the joke was done.,” said senior Nick Coones. “She has a really crazy and funny comedy style.”

A native of Connecticut, McHale currently resides in Los Angeles.

The Comedy Series performances are sponsored by the Student Activities Council. They are free to the public. For more information on upcoming shows, visit the UTM homepage under the Campus Calendars link and visit www.alexandramchale.com for information about the comedian.