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CALGARY — A packed house erupted into applause as Fred Kerr walked on stage during a warm, mid-August evening at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club in Calgary. He was the first featured comic, liquor was flowing and everyone was eager for a good time.

“Folks, like a lot of Calgarians, I lost my job,” the former oilpatch worker said, reaping his first, tentative laugh. “Yeah, I appreciate the sympathy,” Kerr continued. More laughs.

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“But I won’t be unemployed for long because I have a bachelor of arts degree.” More laughs. “In French Literature.” More Laughs. “From the University of Calgary.” More laughs.

Photo by Handout Pengrowth Energy

“You laugh, but the real reason I have confidence in my prospects is because a BA in literature is exactly Justin Trudeau’s qualification.” Big laughs.

He then covered the newsiest topics in his five-minute skit — Donald Trump, marijuana legalization, North Korea — kept the language clean and the political criticism mild to avoid misfiring with the young audience.

Encouraged by a final round of applause, Kerr glided away from the spotlight, satisfied with a good night’s unpaid work.

In reality, Kerr, 54, isn’t optimistic about his job prospects in oil and gas. He was vice-president of investor relations at Pengrowth Energy Corp. when he was laid off in mid-2014 as oil prices started to collapse. Despite having a top-drawer résumé, he remains out of work.