Put down the beer and buffalo chicken dip and pick up your Pinot Grigio and P90X because this is “Guy Code”.
Star of MTV’s “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” Chris Distefano came to Slippery Rock University Tuesday night to entertain students with a stand-up act.
Fully confident in his sensitivity, Distefano let the guys know during his performance that it’s okay to take relationship problems to heart. He suggested the idea of drinking a bottle of Pinot Grigio and then performing the high-intensity p90x workout afterwards, an exercise he referred to as “Pinot90X”.
“I think we’re all idiots,” Distefano said. “Guys can learn from ‘Girl Code’ but girls watch ‘Guy Code’ because we’re idiots. Sometimes it’s not just funny and we actually learn things.”
Before becoming a full-time comedian, Distefano was a pediatric therapist. Kids routinely came up to him and asked if he was on “Guy Code” and he’d have to send them away.
“It’s an adjustment,” he said. “I only started doing this full-time about a year ago. I have a lot of anxiety now because everything I do is under a microscope.”
Distefano credited the ease of the transition to his manager.
One of the adjustments Distefano experienced was the attention on social networks. He explained how people misinterpret almost every post that he sends out.
“I’ll post song lyrics and people will tell me I’m gay,” he said. “I just liked the song. Another person changed their Twitter name to ‘@ChrisDistefanoIsAnAsshole’. Like really?”
Because he’s a comedian, Distefano said that he gets a lot more leeway than many public figures.
“People take everything you do literally,” Distefano said. “It’s hard for people to understand that we’re joking.”
Although he admits to sometimes realizing he shouldn’t have sent out a post, Distefano said he’s never intentionally tried to get a rise out of people with his posts.
The success of “Guy Code” and “Girl Code” has opened up many opportunities for Distefano, including attending Super Bowl XLVIII.
Distefano attended the event with his father and was seated in the upper deck with a lot of unhappy Denver Broncos’ fans.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Distefano said. “I was blessed to be able to provide that opportunity for us.”
With the Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” dominating the game and a less than amazing performance from Peyton Manning and the Broncos, Distefano and his father got to witness quite a show.
“(The Broncos) got smacked and it was fun for us,” he laughed. “Grown men were blaming in tears blaming it on their wives. Wives were blaming their husbands. This one couple exited separate ways.”
Witnessing such strong emotions at the biggest game in professional football, Distefano said he’d probably be incorporating the experience into some of his shows.
“When you tell a story and no one laughs, you’re always like ‘Oh, you had to be there’,” Distefano said. “It’s our job as comedians to make you be there.”
Distefano’s career is on the rise and he plans on making some big moves in the near future. He was unable to release specific information about his projects but mentioned that he will be hosting a show on an unnamed network.
“With TV we get in so much trouble if we say something before it’s officially announced,” Distefano said. “I do have a show coming out and hopefully people will like it.”
Distefano seemed at home on the Slippery Rock stage as his jokes ranged from questioning the school’s name to making “Brokeback Mountain” stabs at a gentleman in the front row dressed in full bull riding gear.
Should the mascot be changed to a picture of a guy slipping on a rock? Distefano and event co-star Carly Aquilino seemed to agree it should.
After the show, several student raised questions about the relationship between Distefano and Aquilino. They expected the question and handled it professionally as they broke the news to SRU that they were no longer together.
Handle situations maturely, drink some Pinot Grigio and understand that guys are idiots. That’s “Guy Code”.
