The Power of Comedy
I was watching a recent clip of John Stewart being interviewed on Stephen Colbert’s show this morning while I was drinking my tea.
They referenced Dave Chappelle’s Saturday Night Live opening this past weekend, so I watched that too.
All three of these guys are seasoned, wildly popular and incredibly experienced comedians.
They are massively successful and skilled at what they do.
They were talking about politics, race, antisemitism and other hot-button topics and gracefully darting in and out of humor and seriousness in addressing them.
By nature, comedy is an arena where comedians can plunge into topics that make people squirm in normal conversations.
They poke fun at, or rage against certain viewpoints or behaviors, and make people laugh about them while at the same time inviting them to think more deeply about them.
Comedy is generally a place where people can — for good, bad or otherwise — say what they want, unfiltered.
My younger daughter is studying comedy writing and performance at Columbia College of Chicago. Columbia and Emerson College in Boston offer the only four-year college degrees in the United States in this field.
When I tell people that my daughter is getting a degree in comedy, they are often amazed that this is possible and yet generally supportive of such an undertaking.
After my morning viewing I started thinking about how absolutely essential comedians are to quelling the fire and rage that erupts when controversial viewpoints are expressed.
It’s clear at this point in history that especially in the US, but increasingly around the world, everyday people are having difficulty talking to each other about varying viewpoints with any kind of open mind or open heart.
Respectful discussion and debate has mostly gone by the wayside in the era of tweets and Instagram posts.
We aren’t taught to listen deeply for common ground, or to intelligently debate issues with grace and style; instead we are taught that there is an absolute right and an absolute wrong and if those guys over there don’t believe or act exactly as we do, they are wrong, pure and simple.
Which leaves zero room for change.
The world and people are not so pure and simple.
Comedians love to point out the complexities of human behavior, especially all of the silly and stupid hypocrisies in what we say and what we do.
When confronted with this in a humorous way, people can safely laugh at themselves and their neighbors while retaining the ability to also think about changing those behaviors.
When comedians exaggerate our most annoying behaviors, or even the divide between communities, we can stop and listen and laugh and think, yes that’s true.
But also, we have permission to gently admonish ourselves and consider change.
I think of all of the ground-breaking sitcoms that were on TV when I was a child in the 1970s; Archie Bunker, Sanford & Son, Chico and the Man, The Jeffersons, M*A*S*H and Mary Tyler Moore just to name a few.
All of them dealt with huge and controversial subject matter in a way that allowed the population to think more deeply and discuss among each other the divides among us — racism, war and the oppression of women for a start.
I grew up with these shows, not realizing their impact on my young mind.
But they did impact me, and it was the brilliant writers, actors and directors of these comedic shows that created a new wave in television.
Later sitcoms like Ellen and Will and Grace would address homosexuality in much the same way.
This morning I am feeling particularly proud of my young comedian for the work that she is doing to hone her skills and push the boundaries of a new generation.
She is working hard performing and directing outside of classes, and taking a heavy course load at Columbia as well.
Next year, she will get to study at the country’s most venerated home for comedy, The Second City.
Here is a partial list of the newly-created artistic advisory board at Second City, all of whom are alumni: Stephen Colbert, Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Tim Meadows, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Jane Lynch and Jason Sudeikis.
If your kid was studying to be a comedian, wouldn’t you want them studying at a school like this?
I am bursting with excitement for her, and anticipating a bright future for her as a comedy performer, writer and producer. The world needs skilled comedians now more than ever before.
