>>FEATURE
DUSTIN DIAMOND
Friday, March 31
Yuk Yuks (Blackfoot Inn)
In recent times, comedic performer Dustin Diamond has traded up in terms of nicknames. Long known as "Screech," the super geek on the 1990s teen television series Saved By the Bell, Diamond is currently building recognition as the "Dark Prince of Comedy."
It’s a label that was initially slapped on him in a People magazine story – a status he’s furthered with a string of positive reviews for his edgy live standup shows. "Slowly, but surely, I have been building up a reputation as not only a good comic," Diamond explains, "but a comic that’s a little dark as well."
A purveyor of biting social commentary, this Dark Prince has drawn comparisons to legendary funnyman George Carlin. "I try to hold up a mirror to the beast in all of us," Diamond says. "I tackle topics such as relationships, the disabled and the stupidity of youth."
While getting laughs is, of course, the main objective, Diamond is also not afraid to question the status quo, to stir things up and get people thinking. He sees it not as his style but as his responsibility.
"With the up-and-coming comics of today, there are some good ones, but there are a lot of people who just do things for the joke," Diamond proclaims. They just want that laugh. They don’t realize how important any position of speaking out to the public can be."
Who could have predicted that the awkward, sight-gag heavy, Saved By the Bell nerd would turn into a comedy-with-a-conscience powerhouse?
When Diamond performs tomorrow, it will be the continuation of an ongoing love affair with Canadian audiences. The 29-year-old, California-born performer generally finds the comedy crowds of this nation more open and receptive to his message than those in his native land.
"I have done shows at Yuk Yuks so many times now that there have been points where I have actually considered getting a place up in Canada," he says. "The Canadian audiences are a lot more willing to experience an entire evening and different viewpoints. You are much more likely to start a riot down in the States."
With rebroadcasts of Saved By the Bell currently airing in more than 100 countries worldwide, Diamond knows he’s not escaping the legacy of Screech anytime soon. All he can do is get out onstage, speak his truth and let people see and hear for themselves that his live comedy is a world away from the sanitized, Saturday-morning fare that first brought him fame.
"My act is not a safe show," Diamond contends. "You need to know when you’re coming into my performance area and you’re full of shit that it’s going to be exposed very quickly." |
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