No time to tackle the opus that is our collection of over forty years of halftime scripts? No problem! Always willing to lend a helping hand, the Princeton Band's done the job for you. Our board of experts have read, cataloged, tested, sorted, measured, and collated the whole collection, and have prepared these recommendations. (Do not exceed maximum recommended dosage. Should redness or itching appear, consult a physician.)
By the way, this isn't a Best Halftime Shows of the PUB list. Some of the funniest shows in our collection aren't listed on this page either because they deal with Princeton-specific topics (fine for a home football crowd, but kinda obscure for readers in Iceland), or old current events (jokes about 1960's politics somehow don't stand the test of time). The shows in this potpourri are among those that should make sense to The Average Person. (Oops, I mean The Average Person Who Can Read. Sorry, Penn Band.)
- Brown 1989: The Underwear Show
is the PUB's definitive history of underwear through the ages. It's also
a good example of walking that fine line between clever and tasteless.
(We always had trouble with walking.) By the way, in the third formation,
as most of the Band dropped off the field, they revealed two strategically-located
musicians...one playing trombone, and other playing suspended cymbals.
You figure it out.
- Harvard 1983: The Long Road to Hahvahd
is an example of the good-natured rivalry ;-) among Princeton and her
foes. Yea, right. For other examples, see yale
1999, Penn 1994, (The SAT Show),
or Hahvahd 1994 (The 75th Birthday Show).
- Delaware 1981: The Orgo Show
("Orgo" being short for "Organic Chemistry," of course). To understand
this one, it helps to know that The Chemical Industry, in particular DuPont,
is very big in Delaware. (Which is less impressive when you remember just
how small a state Delaware is.) This clever script often has served as
audition fodder for aspiring PUB announcers.
- Cornell 1988: The Philosophy Show
demonstrates the Band's scholarly side. A particularly appropriate theme
for a show at Cornell, the only Ivy League school where one can major
in hotel management....not to mention animal husbandry (hey, I hear the
winters get mighty lonely in Ithaca N.Y.).
- Harvard 1970: The Greek Myths Show
is particularly famous in Band lore. Few outsiders ever saw the original
version of the script... until now. Compare the original version to the
final version that made it past the University censor board, and make
your own decision. (For another rare inside look at before-and-after,
check out Brown 1978, which suffered
somewhat more....)
- Colgate 1980: Life with Tubes
shows how any topic can become a theme for a PUB halftime show.
- Brown 1982: The Art Show
is notable for its sight gags, including the classic recreation of the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Our trash percussionists (or the "Elite
Percussion Corps" as they are rarely called) often play a big role in
sight gags.
- Yale 1986: The Creation of Life
shows that the PUB is always willing to tackle controversial topics head-on.
(Sorta like tackling a Mack Truck head-on.)
- Colgate 1978: Things You Lose at Princeton
is, despite what you're thinking, a
99 44/100% clean show. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
- Holy Cross 1992: Another favorite PUB target is politics. That's one reason you don't find many pre-80's shows listed here: political jokes (and current events) don't age well. Our political humor tends to come in four-year spurts.