OTC chooses comedian as commencement speaker

Ozarks Technical Community College selected Springfield comedian Jeff Houghton as keynote speaker for its spring commencement ceremony.

Houghton is scheduled to speak May 12 at JQH Arena, where 1,100-1,200 graduates are expected to receive their diplomas, said OTC spokesman Mark Miller.

The host of Springfield’s late-night television talk show “The Mystery Hour” has become a viral Internet sensation in recent months, first with the launch of the “Instagram Husband” satire on YouTube - which has 5.3 million views to date - and last week with an appearance in a 7-Eleven ad shot mostly in Springfield.

“Jeff doesn’t have any educational connection to OTC, but he does sometimes do his man-on-the-street interviews with OTC students for videos he shows on ‘The Mystery Hour,’” Miller said via email. “We have not put any expectations on Jeff for what he needs to talk about. He’s just been told to be funny, which is natural for Jeff.”

For his “Mystery Hour” show, Houghton has said he’s aiming for national syndication. The show - which airs Saturdays on Fox KRBK - last year was syndicated to Fox 14 in the Joplin market, giving it a four-state viewership. Guest have included Jay Jackson of “Parks and Recreation,” former NFL player Grant Wistrom and Steve Hytner, who played Kenny Bania on “Seinfeld.”