Jeff “Buzz” Sutherland declared, “that’ll make your butt pucker!” after his first joke’s punch line evolved into raucous laughter during his performance Friday night in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Ballroom.

A Tinkerbell t-shirt and a rubber face were the defining characteristics of the comedian, whose visit to Eastern was sponsored by the University Board.

Sutherland performs at an average of 200 colleges a year and has been named College Comic of the Year five times by the National Association of Campus Activities.

Most of the ballroom was occupied for this event, especially as the night progressed. During Sutherland’s routine, the entire audience was hooting and shrieking, and tear ducts were working overtime.

His primary gimmick is audience participation and not just in dialogue as one might expect.

Sutherland carries a camera with him to every show and diligently takes pictures of his audiences during his act.

Harassing audiences also is one of Sutherland’s favorite pastimes. One elderly couple seated in the very front seemed to be the central focus of many of his jokes.

He commented on everything from the familiarities of marriage and children, and responded liberally to the frequent comments made by members of the crowd.

Sutherland also tackled random topics such as why cops on bikes aren’t intimidating, the easy role of a dad and what Donald Duck might say during sex.

Mike DeNofrio, a junior technology education major, played a starring role in the show.

He and Sutherland gave a nasal light show performance involving flashlights and music.

DeNofrio believed the light sticks up his nose was interesting and cited the racy Donald Duck impersonation as his favorite.

During his routine, Sutherland cited the top three college problems as “drinking, parking and drinking and parking.”

Although he was poking fun at the issue, he turned serious at the conclusion of the show, asserting that drunken driving is dangerous and unacceptable.

A graduate of University of Missouri, Sutherland’s career began when Jerry Seinfield visited the campus to do a routine. However, he cites Jonathan Winters as his true inspiration.

Sutherland was subsequently inspired by Seinfield, and two years later, he was his opening act.

After 10 years in the business, some of his highlights have been performing at Notre Dame University, on Comedy Central, on HBO and on MTV.