Comedy is for the Disenfranchised
Comedy is about differences - My first attempt at a shorter, and more personal post.
If you're making comedy, it ought to be about who you are.
A common complaint is that comedians tend to define themselves in terms of their ethnicity, disability or LGBT status. It might be nice to think we’re all just regular human beings, but comedy is about differences and how we measure up. We live in a world of status-chasing, cliques, borders and conflicts of interest. So, life is messy and it can leave us feeling disenfranchised. Either because we’re part of a genuinely legally protected group, or simply because we feel different in an undefined way. I’m autistic, so of course that's what happened to me too. My body language alone makes people talk to their dogs as I walk past them in my village. “Stay over here,” they say... It's a kind effort, but it reminds me of how I’ve always stood out, long before I found the name for it. 1
When you look around at the comedy scene, the same is true of pretty much everyone involved.
Comedy is incongruence writ large. That's where the fun lies. This doesn’t mean a comic can’t accidentally box themself in by only talking about one thing… Or by making too big a deal of something minor. We like to face a three-dimensional person on stage. Still, our most notable features make an excellent starting point for comedy. In terms of actual physical features, this is evident in how comedians may introduce themselves.
The Micky Flanagans and Jerry Seinfelds of this world have their own way of broaching difference. Micky often talks about class distinctions and the differences between men and women. It might not seem like “identity politics,” but that’s largely because of the frivolous nature of the material, which is no bad thing. Regardless, both topics involve identity and difference, whilst remaining broadly relatable.
Jerry Seinfeld does the same thing in his own way. He likes to remind us that we can all behave weirdly, or as Gen Z might put it, “everyone is cringe.” …Although he did once create a media stink when he suggested he might be autistic. So perhaps he’s not the best example of an “everyman” comedian. Having backed away from these comments, I must say, I do still think he’s got a bit of what I’ve got.
Anyway, there’s absolutely no escaping the point I’m making. Mainly because I’ve thought about it a lot. Difference is at the heart of funny. And the best part is that it allows disenfranchised people to take some of their power back; emotionally at least. With comedy, you can quarry-mine value from your deviations. And your inability to do certain things can (in speaking about it) be put to good use.
PS: I want to make it clear that I’m not one to champion social causes nowadays. Political debate makes my brain feel like it’s full of wasps; I find the whole thing absolutely lethal for my mental health. I am however, happy to champion comedy, which is what I hope my words have done. At least half of the comedians I’ve interviewed have some form of disability. I like to think that comedy has been good for them, and that they have been good for comedy. Thank you.
If you would like to read my long-form interviews with successful comedians, please make your way to the blog. I encourage the liking, commenting on and sharing of this post, as it really does drive engagement.
I’m not keen on being watched, so I like to go out when there’s no one around, like Quasimodo. I did speak to a town planner about ways we could Quasi-modify the landscape to suit my needs, but apparently there are “other people to consider.”
I have wasps in my head too. This is a good read and I find humour is my armour against the actually unfunny clowns in charge.
Still giggling on the footnote.
I teach autistic young people psychology now. But back when I taught them English, I woulda loved to have you writing the exam papers! Those students needed some good ideas they could get behind rather than the tired old debates about uniform or writing letters to people they wouldn't even notice - never mind write to.