Fighting With Laughter

I'm not even going to acknowledge how long it's been since I last posted. I'm not going to tell you about any New Year's resolutions about blogging. So, I'll just post. I really want to apologize and offer excuses and qualify, but I'm going to shut it and type.

I've had an invitation to speak at a women's seminar called Hopegivers next week. I've been thinking a lot about what I will share and I've been thinking a lot about comedy since that's a part of what I'll be talking about.

I just watched a biography about Rodney Dangerfield this morning and while his humor was never my cup of tea, I have to respect him as a comedian. In the bio they addressed and were fascinated with the same thing they are fascinated with in every comedian's life: how humor can come from such sadness and struggle and pain.

I'm sure there are thousands of theories explaining this phenomenon and I'll add three more.

One theory I have is that I think comedians are fighters. Depression, sadness, pain, abuse and all those other negative, horrible things pull humans down and threaten to suffocate them and kill them. Comedians fight that. They don't stand for it, they combat it with humor and laughter. They may have had a life or have a life that is dark and suffocating and they decide that they want to let light and air in and so they make it happen. They experiment with faces and actions and words until they find the right combination to unlock the cage they're in. The beauty is while they're ripping open the doors for themselves, they give such happiness to others.

Another theory I have is that comedians are generous. Because of the difficult lives or childhoods or painful experiences they understand loss and lack. They know what it's like to live in the dark drowning in sadness or neglect or pain and they decide that they will give to others what they wished they had. So, they bring to people the happiness and pleasure that they never had. And many, many comedians still don't have it even as they are bringing it to others. Because of all the pain that's why, I believe, many comedians are alcoholics, drug abuser and many have committed suicide.

My last theory is that some comedians use their comedy to express their anger and the pain and hurt and injustice they've experienced. This is the group that I don't really care to listen to because I feel used. I should be paid to hear them complain about their problems and anger. They use their comedy for venting. They appeal to those who wish they could say what the comedians say and get away with it. They insult, criticize, use a lot of vulgarity I've noticed and they're just generally mad at the world. They have their audience and their audience can have them. I personally wish they'd get a therapist and then come back to the stage and let's see if they can make me laugh.

I've heard comedians describe their work as a calling, a passion, they couldn't live without it, and I believe it's all true. Some people are just made to be funny and they can't NOT do it. It's how they've learned to survive and cope.

I tip my hat to all the comedians out there. Keep fighting!