Daniel Franzese’s comedy tour hits MNSU

Maria Ly
Staff Writer

Daniel Franzese stopped by Minnesota State University, Mankato Thursday, Jan. 24 for his “Yass You’re Amazing Tour” making the campus laugh with his various jokes about life and his experiences. 

Lydia Jagodzinski, the Speakers and Entertainment Chair for the Student Events Team and the main organizer of the event, saw Daniel Franzese showcase his act last year in the National Association for Campus Activities conference and couldn’t wait to bring the star from “Mean Girls” to MNSU. 

Jagodzinski said, “I’m just excited to bring comedy on to campus. I was talking to my advisor today and he said we haven’t done comedy since 2014 or 2015, and I just think it’d be a nice change of pace.”

The comedy act was a success from beginning to end. Opening Franzese’s set was David Burdge, an Omaha-based comedian, who warmed up the crowd with his jokes about the harsh Minnesotan weather, his life as a gay man, and the annoyances of being the gay best friend in which he says to his straight girlfriends, “Stop showing me your bras!” He also jokes about his experiences coming out and how “being gay is a pain in the ass”. 

Daniel Franzese continued the laughter of the crowd as he starts with his iconic line of the night, “You’re so amaaaazing!” and how he got the inspiration from his Italian mother who he jokes a lot about in his set. From his mom embarrassing him in front of Ryan Gosling to her always mentioning he’s the “fat gay guy from mean girls” to her shenanigans and special “mom-ese” language, Franzese’s mother is hilarious. Like Burdge, he jokes about his experiences as a gay man. Along with being gay, his Italian roots is a big part of his life which he jokes about often in his set. 

After his hilarious set, he indicted the audience into the House of Glen Coco and made an entrance video asking the crowd to go as wild as they can. He also did a Q&A where students asked a range of questions from awkward sex scenes, to coming out in college,  to his experiences in the behind the scenes of Mean Girls. 

Franzese’s show was a hit with the campus, sponsored by the LGBT Center, not only shed light on the hilariousness and fabulousness of being gay, but also brought diversity and the importance of having an event like this on campus. 

Jagodzinski said, “I think diversity events on campus, in general, whether it’s LGBT or cultural diversity are really important because it educates our student body on things that they don’t know and it just helps them learn, but while it educates new students it also helps students who are in those identifying groups whether it’s cultural diversity or LGBT rights, or women’s issues, it helps them feel accepted for what they have going on and it just provides a very important point of advocacy.”

After the show, Franzese did a meet and greet with all the students where he gave autographs and took selfies with fans. He also had special fan moments like teaching a fan how to use a fan and signing the jiggly belly of an eager MSU Reporter writer. 

Franzese left MNSU with one advice for college students, “In college it doesn’t matter how you got to the party, all that matter is that you went to the party.” 

Feature photo by Maria Ly | MSU Reporter.