Triple the Chins is Tripling the Laughter

Josh Espy ’17, Kirk Horton ’17, and August Rosenthal ’17 are three dudes with chins and three impeccable senses of humor. Since September 2014, they’ve been known as Triple Chin Comedy, Middlebury’s very own Lonely Island-esque comedy group. Every month, the trio writes and films videos that are posted on YouTube for your viewing pleasure (channel name: Triple Chin Comedy). Topics range from a mock-Priceline advertisement to a super awkward public service announcement. The group also recently released a fifteen-minute film titled “hümans” (pronounced: who-mahns).

During our interview, the chins seamlessly fazed in and out of a multitude of characters, from the boisterous Pradeep Abu to the young, strapping German duo Hans Jan and Stefan. Between the jokes, though, the conversation got real. As naturally funny as these guys are, and as effortless as a sketch may appear to the viewer, comedy is an art.

Rosenthal pointed out that there is a profound difference between comedy in real life and comedy in video format.

“Your jokes have to be so much better in a video than they have to be in real life, because most things aren’t that funny in real life… so when anything is a little funny, someone will laugh. But when you have a video, someone is taking the time out of their day to look at something. The quality has to be much higher.”

In order to craft a quality joke, the jokesmith has to keep some crucial points in mind. As obvious as it may seem, one of these is whether the joke will be funny to the viewer. Horton explained, “When we’re coming up with jokes, keeping in the back of our minds whether it’s just funny to us, or whether other people will think it’s funny as well. There’s a lot of things that we crack up about that will not make anyone else laugh.”

Espy added that a sketch has to have a character that serves as a ‘home-base.’ “Not everyone can be nuts. Something has to be grounded in reality. So Greg [Rosenthal’s character in “hümans”], as a character was pretty reasonable, and we [Horton and Epsy] were just nuts. That’s why I think that relationship was dynamic.”

A quality sketch can also serve as a space to talk about subjects that are otherwise taboo. But a joke that is not politically correct—either because it touches upon a sensitive subject or because it is vulgar in a way that is not socially acceptable—must also be smart. Rosenthal explained, “Being vulgar is such an easy punch line, and it’s definitely very fun, but it’s so much more rewarding to make a joke that’s smart and vulgar. If you can hit both, that’s amazing.”

Espy added, “If [your joke is] vulgar for the sake of being vulgar, or offensive just because you’ll get a shock … that’s so cheap. That’s not worth it.”

The boundary between a smart joke and a joke that is offensive is thin, but Espsy explained that the only way to find the boundary is to go there. “I think you have to talk about everything, and then you can let rationality and common sense prevail. But unless you are willing to, in a safe space, go there, then you can’t find the boundary.”

Being funny — from writing the script to shooting the video — is a learning process. Comedy isn’t easy; but that doesn’t mean it isn’t outrageous fun. When the trio was shooting “hümans,”  they took the phrase in vino veritas to heart.

“We were drinking a lot during J-term. Writing a sketch plays very differently when you’re sober versus when you’re drunk,” Rosenthal said. “If you don’t laugh out loud reading your own script when you’re sober, then you’ve got to stop and start over.”

What can we expect from Triple Chin Comedy in the future? According to Horton: “Millions of YouTube hits.”

The group is starting an improv radio show called Triple Chin Radio. The show will air on Sundays at 11 a.m. and will feature a variety of Triple Chin personas interacting with each other; one segment to look forward to is a current events report. Of course, the group will also continue posting videos monthly.

But that’s not all. We can also expect an epic party — and everyone is invited. August gave Triple Chin’s loyal viewers his promise: “When the PSA hits a thousand views, we are going to throw a one-thousand view party. So, it’s BYOB – and BY our B, because we’re not providing anything.” Horton added the disclaimer that “it might just end up being us at the Grille.”

Finally, the trio says they’re open to adding more chins: “If you like jokes, and you think you’re good at them - you don’t have to be great at them - get in touch with us.” You can never have too many chins.