Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Comedy comes "with a twist"

By Eric Winkelman

Athletes, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters attended Happy Hour last week.

It wasn’t the bar version. The event was hosted on Friday by ICE (Intercultural, Cultural, Educational Committee) to inform students about the dangers of binge drinking.

“The message is not do not drink,” said speaker Bernie McGrenahn. “The message is if you drink often or excessively your grades, your relationships and your finances will only get worse.”

ICE and Virginia Wesleyan College felt it was necessary for the athletes and the Greeks to attend this event because they are seen as role models who should set good examples.

“A lot of the athletes and Greeks are leaders on campus,” said sophomore Vickie Brynildsen, a member of ICE.

McGrenahn, a comedian, had a serious message about heavy drinking and how it has affected his life. He created Happy Hour in 1998 as an informative speech that has a humorous twist.

“I think the program’s effective because I didn’t really like being lectured in college, and I don’t want to lecture students now,” said McGrenahn.

Due to his drinking problem, the Bronx, NY native dropped off the baseball team his junior year at Byram Hills High School, he dropped out his sophomore year of college at West Chester Community College, and was charged with driving under the influence three times. From his personal experience, McGrenahn knows what it’s like to have a problem and need to solve it.

“I specialize in reaching the problem drinker,” he said. “Another problem drinker will know that he or she has a problem after hearing my show.”

McGrenahn started by making jokes about Wal-Mart, public rest rooms, laundry and other simple things in life that college students can relate to. He joked about how disgusting the toilet seats in the public rest rooms are and how men won’t do their laundry until they absolutely have to.

He was aware that some of the athletes and Greeks didn’t want to be there on a Friday night and that yes, some of them would actually rather be out drinking at the time. “Man, I’m going to O’Leary’s, finish this up,” McGrenahn said jokingly referring to what some of the students in the audience might be thinking.

He mentioned how he used to experiment with marijuana “for about eight years.” He joked how, in his younger days, he used to think marijuana would enhance his mind. Like when he had to wash his car, he would decide to smoke half a joint first so he could do it high.

“The car’s not that dirty,” said McGrenahn. “It doesn’t need to be washed. I’m going to go finish that joint and eat some Captain Crunch.”

During this segment, he admitted that he was in the 8th grade when he started smoking pot and drinking. By 9th and 10th grade, he had started using pills and cocaine as well. However, his main addiction was alcohol.

Because of his drinking, McGrenahn’s batting average dropped from .320 to .250, which led to him leaving the baseball team. He graduated high school with a D average even though he was an A student up until high school.

His first two DUI’s came during his freshman year of college. He thought he could sober himself up enough eating some cheese fries and using the bathroom before he went driving. He mentioned that the alcohol will stay in the system anyway.

McGrenahn mentioned that as a baseball player he thought he was the type of guy who could hold his liquor.

“Your motor skills are jacked up at one drink,” he said of the reality.

For his first DUI, he was fined $500 and had to go to alcohol classes for three months; for his second he was fined $1,000 and had to go to alcohol classes for six months.

After he failed college, he said his little brother Scott became his best friend. Scott was a basketball player in high school who was doing the exact same thing he was. He discussed how him and his brother would get loaded together.

However, the day came when Bernie noticed that Scott was also getting into trouble he with grades and coaches. Bernie got into an argument with his brother about how Scott needed to shape up. The argument ended in anger.

That day McGrenahn went down to the bar to have a few drinks. He got a call from his sister Debbie, who was crying, telling him he had to come home. So he drove home while under the influence as usual.

When he got to his house he saw police and ambulances everywhere. His brother Scott had shot himself. So he went to the bar with his friends to drink again.

Four months later he decided to stop hanging out with the same group of friends.

But after he went on a date in a rented Convertible, he had one too many Long Island Ice Teas and crashed into a guardrail. He was picked up for his third DUI.

McGrenahn became so frightened that he didn’t show up in court. He eventually came, 40 days late. During this period he didn’t go out with friends, drink or get into any kind of trouble.

When McGrenahn eventually showed up to court, he was sentenced to six months in prison. He got four months for his third DUI, one month for not staying out of trouble for six months after his second DUI, and one month for showing up late.

Over the 18 years since, McGrenahn has been clean and sober. He currently lives in Los Angles as does his younger brother Sean, Scott’s twin, who stays over during weekends.

“The students were great with the humor and respectful and I appreciate them being here on a Friday night,” he said.

Additional information on Happy Hour appears at www.HappyHourComedy.com.