With jokes ranging from poking fun at his son, the University of Minnesota and even Bill Clinton, comedian Ben Stein spoke to an enthusiastic crowd of approximately 2,000 Monday.
At one point a Nixon speechwriter and now host of \Win Ben Stein's Money,"" Stein took the stage at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., in the Distinguished Lecture Series' first sold-out event of the year.
Stein, who complemented his navy suit with a pair of tennis shoes, spoke of his newly released book, ""How To Ruin Your Life,"" which he said was largely inspired by people in Hollywood.
""Don't learn any useful skills,"" Stein said as one example cited in his book. ""Just watch reruns of 'The Simpsons.'""
The crowd cheered.
In one of at least 10 references to marijuana throughout the night, Stein also suggested drugs and alcohol as a way to ruin a person's life.
He later offered a list of tips that changed his life, such as taking the time to tell loved ones, such as parents and children, how important they are.
""Those investments pay off, they're tax-free, they're great,"" he said.
Stein also told a story of a recent night when he was at a restaurant and noticed his back was to a table seating Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt. At first he was insulted they did not acknowledge him, but when Aniston got up, she noticed Stein and she and her husband raved about what huge fans they were.
The episode reminded Stein of an important lesson.
""Don't assume that people are better than you or worse than you,"" he said.
Stein also cited a UW-Madison student who refused to share her hamburger during a layover in Detroit, Mich., a day earlier as an example of the importance of sharing.
The student, UW-Madison junior Jessica Baird, happened to be in the audience that night and dutifully laughed when Stein poked fun at her several times.
""I was mortally embarrassed,"" she said after the speech. ""But it's OK. It was the most hilarious layover ever.""
DLS committee member and UW-Madison junior Patrick Morell said the committee wanted to bring Stein to offer a conservative perspective to the series.
""He's a man who's had a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, and we thought he'd be beneficial to the university,"" Morell said.
But in his speech, Stein made minimal references to politics.
The question and answer session ranged from serious inquiries, such as why he supports the Republican party, to lighter ones such as one man's invitation for Stein to smoke with him and his friends after the event. Stein thanked him but declined.
Perhaps the highlight of the night, however, was when someone asked Stein to say his famous line from ""Ferris Bueller's Day Off,"" to which Stein obligingly replied in a monotone voice, ""Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?\
