Comedians have a role to play in social change
Many of us can name more comics than elected officials, writes Martine St-victor.
In these pandemic times, we have had to reassess what is essential. Services, people, things. And after months of uncertainty, anxiety and grief, it is clear that one of those things is comedy.
But today, more than ever, comedy is about more than laughter. It can also serve as guidance and as gut-checks. On July 26, an anti-donald Trump group released the “America Wake-up” ad. It was a montage of images of the Trump crew, mixed with troubling news footage and topped off with the voice of late comedy icon George Carlin, excerpted from one of his 2005 acts. In it, he deconstructs the decline of the American empire. Fifteen years later — 12 since Carlin’s death — his words are still very much àpropos.
In a sit-down with Barbara Walters in 1984, the grande dame of interviews asked Johnny Carson: “When you go home and worry about things, do you worry about this country? Are there things that really bug you that you can’t say on the air?” To which Carson replied: “I think one of the dangers, if you are a comedian, which basically I am, if you start taking yourself too seriously and start to comment on social issues, your sense of humour suffers somewhere.”
I understand that. But today, late-night talk shows are not only watched live, after the evening news. They are viewed online and excerpts are shared hundreds of thousands of times on various platforms. Their reach is greater than ever and so is their influence. If the comic relief of these ambassadors of laughter takes a hit, in exchange for calls to action and demands for accountability from leaders, I’ll take it. If comedians use their clout to encourage audiences to be more involved in civic duties, I’m OK with it. At least, until next Nov. 3.
Late-night talk shows are not only watched live, after the evening news. They are viewed online and excerpts are shared hundreds of thousands of times on various platforms.
And use that clout they should. À la Carlin or à la Chappelle. In early June, comedy favourite Dave Chappelle released “8:46” on Netflix and on Youtube. It was a 26-minute cri de coeur. With George Floyd’s murder as its epicentre, 8:46 is also a diagnosis of how we got today’s upheaval. Its intent is not to make us laugh. Instead, it forces us to think about our place and responsibility in the current movement for social and racial justice.
I have often said that not every Black person needs to be Martin Luther King. That not every woman needs to be Gloria Steinem. But today, it would be great if every comedian with clout used his or her platform to be an advocate for equality and for change.
The influence of comedians is undeniable. Many of us can name more comedians than we can elected officials and we can probably recite comedy bits better than we can explain policies. It’s an equation politicians have understood since at least 1968, the year Richard Nixon appeared on TV’S “Laugh-in.” The role of comedy has always been essential to social change, but never more than now. The best comedians get us through emotions. We remember when what they said moved us, made us think and, yes, laugh. Very few political leaders have that kind of power.
The likes of Trevor Noah, Hasan Minhaj, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Canadian Samantha Bee are walking on a path unbeaten by Carson. My wish is to see more of their counterparts on this side of the border join. If the past months have produced one take-away that is unquestionable — because it is supported by numbers — it is that social ailments and racial injustices exist in Canada, just like they do in the United States. Shouldn’t that reality be reflected more in Canadian acts and shows? It is in some, but not enough. It’s not solos that will help change the tone, it’s a chorus.
“I don’t mean to get heavy, but we got to say something,” chimed Chappelle in 8:46. The jokes can wait, comedians. But justice cannot.