Leno Receives Lampy Prize

More than 1000 students filled Sanders Theater as Lampoon court jesters in pink tights and magenta-striped pants presented the three-foot "Elmer Award" to comedian Jay Leno last night.

The Elmer Award is given in honor of Elmer Green, the former caretaker and friend of the Lampoon who died in 1977. Previous recipients in the prize's 10-year history have included Bill Cosby, John Candy and Pee Wee Herman.

Leno often appears as the guest host on the "Tonight Show" and on "Late Night with David Letterman." He also tours comedy clubs around the country and has appeared in movies including "Americathon" and "American Hot Wax."

The audience gasped in mock suspense last night as Lampoon President and "King of the Foolery Court" Jonathan D. Fernandez '89 asked, "The envelope, please..."

Two jesters in medieval attire danced onto the stage with the envelope and the mammoth trophy. And Fernandez announced--to no one's surprise--that Jay Leno had won this year's Elmer Award. The Lampoon announced the decision several weeks ago.

Leno gracefully accepted the award, saying, "I wish I had a Cadillac to put this on."

Amid laughter, Leno continued his acceptance speech with a series of one-liners. Holding the glittering prize high, he quipped, "in that marvellous tradition of Harvard understatement."

"I never liked bowling, but I'll start now," Leno added about the trophy.

At a Lampoon dinner prior to the ceremony, Leno called the trophy "a tremendous honor." He said he had chauffeured John Wayne to receive the Lampoon's "Worst Actor of the Year" Award in 1975, and had met Elmer Green before that ceremony.

The comedian also gave the Boston-area students a free sampling of his stand-up humor.

Jimmy Swaggart and other television evangelists were the first victims. "They should have an 11th commandment," he said. "Thou shalt not play 'pirate and the slave girl' in cheap motels."

The Andover native quoted Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson's campaign slogan, "God is my running mate," and inquired, "Why would God take the number two spot on the ticket?"

Leno followed with a string of jokes about Americans and their perspectives on world and national hunger. "Rather than working at a program that feeds people on a regular basis, we get involved with a program that feeds them biannually," Leno joked.

"We figure that if we stuff enough food down [a man's] gullet between Thanksgiving and Christmas that he won't bother us for a sandwich in July," Lenoadded.

Commenting on Mr. Potato Head, Leno said, "Howdo we explain to people in starving countries thatwe grow food for amusement?" Leno added, "Astarving child in Biafra sees a Mr. Potato Headand says 'Oh! A potato, a potato!' You say 'No,you can't eat it-you have to put a hat on it.'"

The comedian fielded questions from theaudience and threw comebacks at their generallymundane answers. One student asked, "Who is youridol?," to which Leno responded, "Well, of coursethat would have to be Elmer."

Leno also began to ask students about theirconcentrations. After a Berklee School of Musicstudent said he was a music major, Leno summed up:"So you're planning to live with your parents whenyou get out of school."

Leno also offered advice to aspiring comedians."Start out by getting on any place you can geton," he said