Or maybe we’re still just laughing in the face of tragedy. But, nonetheless I have a theory: perhaps, to live in a time so overwhelming, a time when the president of America confessed to harassing women with impunity, that in the darkened audience of a standup special, singing along to rap in our cars, and scribbling yo mama jokes on napkins during our breaks – perhaps in these roles, we gain a small power – the power of being anonymous in a crowd of complicity, a chance for once to be the tormentor and not the victim, to escape our vulnerability for even just a few moments. I cannot claim my answer will be right for all. I began to wonder, why in this time of #MeToo and other campaigns to lift up the voices of abused women, did we still feel attracted to these dehumanising streams of entertainment. I spoke to more women and they too confessed to their own twisted vices: a secret love of sexist rap music, secret crushes on womanising male leads, closeted “yo mama jokes” fanaticism. Why did I laugh so vigorously at these vaguely “men’s rights” jokes? Why, after all these years of therapy and PTSD counselling, did I still feel the need to laugh in the face of tragedy? The part that could not express the complexity of my pained joy. A vicious feeling that made me want to say: “Cut the crap, you’re not really a feminist.” Neither angers were suitable or indeed real. One, at the audacity to pause something that was bringing me joy, but also another a type of anger. “I can’t believe you’re laughing at this,” he’d say, and I’d feel a sudden anger. That night, when my friend and I watched that standup special, he kept pausing the video to look at me. We laughed until the tears came out anyway, but this time they weren’t tears of pain and trauma, but tears of laughter in the face of defeat. Whenever I think of this saying, I am reminded of high school – when my best friend and I would limp to school and share the tales of our whippings, the humiliations at the hands of our angry fathers, and how instead of weeping, we laughed. It is a laughter, not of triumph or defiance, but a laughter of defeat, of resignation. In the language Setswana, there is a saying: the greatest laughter is death – sometimes the tragedy of a situation is so great, that one can only laugh in the face of it. I looked over at my friend in between gulps for air and saw that his mouth was agape. Read about NO REASON TO HIT A WOMAN by Bill Burr Stand Up and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Laughing uncontrollably as the joke continued. There were some uncomfortable chuckles from the audience – and even via the TV, one could sense the discomfort. “Really?” he asked his stupefied audience. Or you can let those thoughts take you right down the rabbit hole.‘I was laughing uncontrollably as Bill Burr’s joke continued.’ Photograph: Sipa USA/Rex/ShutterstockĪnd then finally he began a joke with: “There’s no reason to hit a woman,” and then a pause. something that's going to get the blood going. When your brain is sending you bad information or bad thoughts, you can decide to go to the gym, or write a new joke - or if you're on the road, go to a ball game. I don't have clinical, but I've definitely had my bouts with it. “I've found is that by doing stand-up, I've actually learned how to combat depression. “Deny your emotions and act like you have answers” You don't have the responsibility of the entire movie being on you. I'd like to be in those giant movies, as the fifth or sixth lead, and have three or four killer scenes. “I love making movies, and being in any that I can be in. That's a tough place to be as a comedian.” She keeps trying to help us out and we won't let her do it. Put on a sweater, take some vitamins, you're gonna be fine We gotta let mother nature do her thing, man. And don't worry, it's only gonna kill the weak. “The only time I get sick of making people laugh is when I'm in a non-writing-joke mode, and I just can't seem to come up with anything new that's funny. Bill Burr Sex, Race, People 168 Copy quote We need a plague. “God's everywhere, but I gotta go down (to church) to see him? Really? And he's mad at me down there, and I owe you money?” I've definitely been guilty of leaning on the mic stand, but you can only do that so long before you're like, "Jesus, I'm bombing." The fact that people pay to come see me, that's really just out the window.” “I think the fear of humiliating yourself on stage always motivates me to give at least 90 percent. All your IDs, all your credit cards - just run out of the house with no phone, turn the corner where you can't see your house, and not have a full on panic attack.” It's awesome, right? You had no money, no ID, no cell phone, no nothing, no keys to the house. “You're a kid, your whole life is awesome.
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