Defending the Caveman

Caveman comedy

Understanding the opposite sex may never be easy, but Kevin Burke breaks it all down for you in “Defending the Caveman” at Excalibur. He acts as the narrator for this hilarious comedy, created by comedian/writer Rob Becker, that attempts to debunk the age old myth that men are all jerks.

Before landing in Las Vegas, Burke starred in the Broadway tour of “Defending the Caveman.” The timeless subject matter and the insightful humor about the differences between men and women have made it the longest running solo play in Broadway history.

“Instead of looking at men as a--holes, why don’t we just look at them as having a different culture?” asks Burke. He begins to explain how many of the same characteristics that were conveyed by cavemen are still very apparent in modern day behaviors of men and women and that understanding this is the key to also understanding the opposite sex.

Lighting and sound techniques are used to enhance Burke’s performance as he reminisces about when he was first confronted by a group of women at a party who stated this inherent problem with men.

The first step to understanding the opposite sex, explains Burke, is realizing that women are more compelled by cooperation and men are more compelled by negotiation. For instance, say you are at a party and the chip bowl is suddenly empty. If there’s a group of women, all of them will offer to refill it and often times they will even all do it together. However, if the same thing happens in a group of men, the excuses start flying - I brought the chips, it’s my house, I brought the dip, I got the beer, etc. until someone finally loses the negotiation and he ends up having to re-fill the chip bowl.

He expands upon this by explaining the reasoning behind other female and male behavioral characteristics.

Women like to shop because they are innate gatherers, says Burke. Cavewomen were in charge of gathering food and knowing what colors to look for as an indication that certain things were ripe and ready for the picking. This same concept explains why women like to shop and gather more clothes in accordance with the seasons, even if their closet is already full.

Cavemen on the other hand had only one task and that was to hunt. He explains that this is why men have a more narrow and focused mind. Burke uses watching television while his wife, Karen is attempting to talk to him as an example.

“If I’m watching and Karen comes to talk to me, I can’t even hear her,” jokes Burke.

He uses many funny scenarios like this during the show to narrate the different ways that men and women respond to the same situations and the hilarity that ensues.

As Burke shares more instances from his life, couples in the audience laugh and nudge each other, acknowledging that they relate to his experiences. Single people in the audience find the show equally amusing and also enlightening on how to better interpret the opposite sex on their next date.

The female instinct to keep things clean is explained through another funny instance with his wife.

“One day the house was dirty, and she just started to clean,” says Burke in an astounding tone. “I have nothing in me that would make me want to do that…Even if a guy does do house chores they are never good enough.”

Chuckles arise from the audience in response to this familiar situation that most couples living together have experienced.

As more behavioral traits are explained through Burke’s witty humor, he reveals that men and women were initially created differently so that they could survive in the jungle together. Although that jungle has changed, Burke explains that those differences actually help men and women balance each other out to form a united whole.

“Defending the Caveman” gives you a delightful comical insight to relationships and helps you realize that although it’s not always immediately evident, there is some logic and reasoning behind the different things that men and women do.