Carolyn Johnson, Freelance Writer

Tashawna 'One Strand' Gayle, the sole female in the competition, was the club rocker on the Comedy Buss at TVJ Studio on Sunday. - Colin Hamilton

There were only 10 contestants on the bus this week when it arrived at the Television Jamaica studio for the MiPhone/TVJ Comedy Buss competition. But of "de big top ten", not many were very impressive.

This week, the jokes started as soon as the driver, Christopher 'Johnny' Daley, exited the bus. When he did not receive the standing ovation he desired, he attacked judge Winston 'Bello' Bell. "Bello a you cause it, cuz yu did look betta dan me last week," he said.

When the other judge, Audrey Reid, commended her stylist Judy for her fabulous get-up, Bello retorted, "I think Judy shoulda open a church, she work miracles." After the audience settled down, both judges commented on last week's performances with an expectation of improvement this week.

Joining the set was guest judge Rick Elgood, director of Dancehall Queen and One Love, which Johnny reminded the comedy club he appeared in as the blind man and did not see Bello.

First up from the bus was Davon Sterling who had improved on both his material and delivery. Still, the judges thought he needed to 'come out of is shell'.

Dwight Samuels, the 'club rocker' for the last two weeks, was received with loud cheers from the audience. The cheers got louder when he spoke of the genuine 24-karat girls versus the 'washover, girl-plated girls'. The latter, he explained are ambitious, studying to be white women. "Wen money nah run dem get Ambi fi trus."

The judges were all impressed. They liked his delivery, and that he had done his homework. "Full speed ahead," Bello said.

Gabre Nelson had some good jokes as he took a poke at crime in Jamaica telling how Jamaicans stole a machine designed to catch thieves. Though the judges said he had improved they thought he needed to speak slower.

Dalton Spence, the 'Concerned Citizen', tried some Portmore jokes but failed miserably. "I don't want to hear no more about Portmore," Elgood said. "What you concerned about not important. Your jokes are suffering from an overdose of Viagra," Reid said.

Shawn DaCosta also failed to make a proper showing which had much to do with his lack of confidence, or as Reid put it, "Your jokes seem as if they are suffering from constipation."

Dufton Shepherd, though he had done his homework and soared on originality, lost points for over-complicated jokes, which were also "dragging and boring".

Carlos Austin and Dwight Smith had some good jokes in making cracks on the church and beggars. Bertram 'Sukie' Williams told the audience he would not want his mother to find him a mate because she always bought things sizes larger and told him, "it's a little big now, but you will grow into it." The audience went wild with laughter while Bello was laughing so hard he could not comment.

The club rocker was the lone female Tashawna 'One Strand' Gayle, who told THE STAR she is not afraid to laugh at herself. "Me jus try keep de jokes personal because you want people see that you willing to laugh at yourself."

Gayle this week made another hit at her family. Last week it was her oversized sister. On Sunday she spoke of her big, empty shell brother who died after suffocating himself. That was after she saw him shouting in an envelope, sending a voicemail to his girlfriend.