U7 - Final Reflection

I was unaware when I began this class of how much I was going to enjoy it. The idea of reading and writing about comedy seemed interesting and I was eager to be entertained, but I didn’t think much about how the interpretation of the texts (of course, using that term lightly in this class) would impact my feelings about comedy and the how the art itself has has developed over time. I have a deeper respect for comedy and comedians in general, now.

I guess one aspect of this class that really impacted me was the exploration of the dark side of comedy and how humor, whether we like it or not, can also be a way of masking or dealing with unresolved pain. Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, Nanette, really left me feeling as though I had been punched in the gut. I just thought it was so brilliant of her to begin by making her audience laugh only to end with them practically speechless in the second half of show. It mirrored her life experiences, I suppose, as she lived out this roller coaster of coping with her shame in an unhealthy way, eventually to come to the conclusion that she was going to be honest and tell her story, as she said “properly”. Her show really left an impression on me and to be honest, I was thrilled with her truth and in awe of her courage to speak so candidly about her feelings, but I was also quite sad when it was over.

It made me think of comedians we’ve lost over the years and how they must have felt so similar to Gadsby and how hopeless that must have left them. My daughters were watching the Disney version of Aladdin the other day and I overheard the voice of Robin Williams (as the Genie) and a wave of sadness washed over me as I remembered him from other films when I was growing up and the true joy that he brought to his audiences. I was even more sad to think about how my girls would never get to experience him the way that I did. But also because it's scary, you know? To learn when it's too late that there was a problem, that's scary and unsettling and how do we change that?

But I suppose the most important thing that I learned while taking this class is that there is always a silver lining to what seems impossible or unfair. And that as much as comedy has it's dark side, when used as a way to conceal pain, in truth, the ability to laugh at our circumstances and the world around us can also function as a way to restore and heal the human mind and uplift our spirits.

So that's what I take away from this class, you know? The ability to discern comedy in a healthy way and to enjoy it while also keeping in mind that there's a distinct, raw honesty that comes from it.