Dynamic duo acts out risque skits during campus visit

 A crowd filled the Branigin Room Tuesday night to watch Lindsey Pearlman and Kyle Terry as they tried “hooking up and hanging out.”

The duo came to campus as part of the Six-Pack Speaker Series and brought their part-scripted, part-improv and part-audience participation show called “Sex Signals” with them.

Pearlman, who has been doing the act for five months, said she was happy with the turnout and the audience participation.

The audience was asked to hold up a sign that said “stop” if they were ever uncomfortable or too embarrassed to watch what the actors were doing.

Though the show started and finished on lighter notes, the actors’ gig was not just to entertain. The show kicked off with a little comedy when Terry tried to hit on Pearlman during a skit to show how body language is viewed differently by men and women.

The duo then restarted the scene. This time the scene continued as Terry groped Pearlman and proceeded to have her hand placed in specific regions. The “stop” signs were raised, but the scene continued, contrary to what the pair had said.

The actors said ignoring the “stop” signs mirrored real-life when people choose not to stop situations when they are uncomfortable with something.

The pair also asked the audience to help come up with stereotypes for each sex.

 “When I was born, they gave me a football and a beer,” Terry joked.

With the audience’s help, the women were listed as being commonly stereotyped as ladies who were calm, sweet and virgins, while men were aggressive, the boss and the badass.

As the show went on, the subjects became more serious.

Pearlman played a talk show host who was interviewing an accused rapist, played by Terry – drastically changing the tone of the production. They went on to discuss what happened the night that Terry had supposedly raped the victim.

The scene broke after Terry described the night and gave his input on what happened. They then polled the audience on who thought Terry raped the girl, who thought he didn’t rape the girl, and who couldn’t decide if he had raped the girl. The audience was split between raped and unsure.

The actors said television shows like “CSI” and “Law and Order” give the public the wrong view of what rape is. They gave advice on what to do if someone was or became a rape victim.

 The show ended with some more comedy to lighten up the audience, followed with great cheers from the crowd.

Junior Katie Stephens, the Panhellenic Council’s vice president, said, “[Having the show be part serious and part comical] was a good way to hit an intense topic.”

Stephens said that the timing of the show seemed perfect considering the recent sexual assaults at other campuses.

Terry, who has been doing the show for five years, said it’s important for the audience to continue to talk about the duo performance and the lessons it taught.

“We want them to keep talking even after the program is done,” Terry said. “We want more people to talk about sex in a healthier way.”

Staff Writer Matt Muncy contributed to this report.