Prize-Winning Essay
The Looming Darkness in Comedy: Where’s the Joy? Kaitlyn Heintzelman At first glance, comedy appears to be a positive force in society. After all, comedy is a safe place where no one is safe: every religion, ethnicity, and race is mocked, analyzed, and everyone is taught to not think so seriously. There is something liberating and joyous about letting go of one’s stereotypes and beliefs and finding humor in the ridiculousness that is in everyone. Yet, there is an undeniable habit of discontent found in comedians. By analyzing the lives of an array of successful comedians, it is evident that many comedians struggle with a turbulent personal life. Perhaps comedians chase after joy and laughter because there is a dark underbelly in their life. There is an underlying presence of darkness in comedy, commonly caused by the “tears of a clown” affect of childhood trauma and mental illness, correlating with the comedians’ search for a transcendent experience. The dark undertones of comedy are, perhaps, rooted in its vaudeville beginnings. Vaudeville comedians “…struggled for attention, as naked women were the main draw” (Nesteroff 6). At this point in time, there was not a place for comedians – they did not belong in a select venue or work for a certain audience. Essentially, comedy struggled to find a home in American society. Numerous times in history comedy has been paired with the sexualization of women, first with Burlesque strippers, and later during the era of the Playboy mansion, which was, incidentally, the most prestigious venue and “the most significant circuit for stand-up comics in the 1960s” (213). Even as an independent entity, comedy was seen as something dirty dangerous that cannot occur during the light of day. Perhaps comedy at this time was merely misunderstood, but it is more likely that comedy was deemed detrimental to “normal society”
Moorings 6
