Comedy, Curiosity

Funny guys seek to connect, not divide

It’s easy these days for comedy to be political — to make jokes attacking perceived inaccuracies or failings on the other side of the party line. And just as it can be for other areas of life, comedy is an effective coping mechanism for addressing frustrations about today’s political climate. But Krish Mohan and Andrew Frank aren’t interested in liberal or conservative labels for their material. The two stand-up comedians performing Feb. 3 at Nomad’s in Fayetteville are more focused on taking a deeper look at cultural systems from a socially conscious viewpoint.

“It is this kind of quest for knowledge that we have that we put into our comedy — it’s curiosity,” Mohan says of the two comedians’ similar styles. “It is just trying to understand what we’re all about and appreciating and embracing our differences, rather than using it as a source point for antagonizing the other side, which has no value to me. I don’t think that solves any issues, it just creates more divide.”

“The driving force behind why we write jokes is that we want to learn about what society is, what our individual lives are; we want to explore big ideas together,” Frank adds. “What we’re trying to do is be socially conscious; I don’t think that falls on the political spectrum. Figuring out how to share society with each other, how to live the best life and take care of the most people, I don’t think is a left or a right thing — that’s a human thing.”

Though their shows do explore traditionally polarizing topics — war, how we treat the environment, organized religion, and yes, politics — Mohan and Frank’s shared interests in psychology, sociology and philosophy are what set their style apart from the norm in comedy.

“I feel there’s a personal responsibility to be empathetic, knowledgeable and as creative as possible, and to be very conscious of what is behind why I get on stage,” Frank shares. “For me, it’s to explore those ideas, it’s to be creative, to share a work of art with people. I feel like a lot of times, there’s maybe selfish reasons behind it, but I think dissolving that ego and challenging yourself, challenging other people, looking for the truth and trying to be as creative and artistic and hilarious in the process, I think that’s the responsibility I feel.”

“I learned a lot about American pop culture and politics through ‘The Daily Show’ — more than I did from any of the mainstream media channels — because they made me laugh and they made me think about the implication of this piece of news or this piece of legislation,” Mohan recalls. “It was exciting to me, and I think it’s a great form of communication. What it does to the brain, the chemicals it releases when you when you hear and laugh at a joke, I think that’s definitely one of the most effective ways to share an idea.”