A couple of years ago, my brother made me watch Katt Williams’s “The Pimp Chronicles” with him, and even though I didn't want to at the time I'm glad I did because it opened up a new genre to me.
No cliche has ever been as true as "laughter is the best medicine." I know from experience that the best way to forgive and forget is to park your butt in front of a Netflix comedy special and let your mind go somewhere else for an hour. Stand-up comedy isn’t just entertainment; it is also therapeutic. The only tears that will be rolling down your cheeks during this time will be due to the pain in your sides from laughing so hard.
I like to think of myself as a funny person, and I constantly tell my friends that someday I will have my own nation-wide tour. I hate to admit it but I often tell myself jokes or stories as if I was a comedian speaking to a crowd. The worst part is, I try to gauge what the audience’s reactions would have been. Oops! Even though I have hours of practice under my belt and amazing mentors such as Jim Gaffigan, John Mulaney and Tom Segura, I know I could never do what they do.
It may not be a highly sought after profession, and most individuals don’t achieve wide recognition like Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Louis C.K., Zach Galifianakis, Chelsea Handler, Aziz Ansari or Kevin Hart (to name a few), but it takes a certain soul to be able to get up and let people laugh at their pain. The ability to relate to other individuals and empathize with their struggles is a basic part of life. Stand-up comedians shed a different light on this element of human nature by making themselves vulnerable and telling jokes.
While taking an American Sign Language class this year I learned two very important things. First, my hands don’t move as fast as my mouth and, second, humor transcends all languages. After repeatedly trying to explain how I find my teacher funny even though we communicate in different ways, I realized something important. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what language you speak or even if your language uses words or signs to interact, we are all connected through laughter.
Laughter is the universal language. Laughter is how we bridge the gap between others and ourselves. With laughter, we can begin to grow as humans and as friends.
I believe with my whole heart that people like Bill Burr, Demetri Martin, Brent Morin, Eugene Mirman, Anjelah Johnson, Donald Glover, Bo Burnham, Jim Jefferies and Chris D’Elia (to name a few more), have one of the most dignified jobs on this planet. To bring someone joy and take away their suffering, even for a moment, is one of the most valuable things a person can do for another. So, laugh a little! You don’t realize how far a sense of humor can get you in life.
If you get the chance to see something live you should go. The other day I went to Space 55 in Phoenix to see a high school friend of mine perform and I nearly fell off my seat! There are loads of comedy clubs downtown and in Tempe too, so grab a friend and go enjoy something other than a movie. I promise you you won’t regret it.
If you're interested in seeing comedy on campus, don’t forget about ASU’s very own comedy groups!
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Reach the columnist at kamaher1@asu.edu or follow @KatieMaher97 on Twitter.
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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