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Comedy as a Defense Mechanism -- Howard Stern, Sarah Silverman


Darius

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Yeah...I TRIED to watch Amy Schumer's sketch show because I did like one of her stand ups...but her skits are kinda more depressing than they are funny.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqo3aLw0WtI

 

There's a missing scene, but basically at the end, she's at a cemetery getting a grave dug for the man because she plans to marry and grow old with him. Then he rejects her over the phone, and she ends up sad for a split second before she starts hitting on the undertaker.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Great video with great insight! I found the interview with Howard Stern very interesting. 'I could get my father's attention if I could get inside that box'.

 

Now I know why I always aim at being perceived as intelligent and funny. It's to impress my father whose attention I always got by being just that. Sad to realize just who is still running my life...

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  • 3 weeks later...

As a very funny and witty person who is often told "you should be a comedian", I can certainly relate to the idea put forth in this video.  Also, a good podcast to check out about this subject is the mental illness happy hour.

 

Being funny is great social lubricant, and there are times when it helps to make light of negative situations.  But, doing so without the knowledge of what you are doing and why is dangerous.  Listening to a lot of the listener's on Stef's show really helps to make it painfully clear when it's appropriate to laugh and joke.  Too many adults think it's cute and funny to jest at how they were raised.  Worse, too many adults can empathize with the person making the jokes.

 

I totally understand what Stef means when he says "me + something".  In my case, it's me plus funny.  It's a means to hide, to  manipulate, and to get others to laugh at their own pain or my own.  Being able to not laugh in return when somebody is clearly prompting you to do so takes courage.  Being able to use that moment to connect with the wounded person behind the humor takes courage and self-knowledge.

 

Thanks for sharing!

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  • 1 year later...

My son never laughs at my jokes. "Dad, you're like one of those wierdos who says something he thinks is funny and nobody laughs except him, he laughs hysterically and then there is a dead silence".

"But if I wait for others to laugh, I'll never be funny", I countered. He was silent, appalled. 

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