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Tragedy Plus Time

Fighting – or at Least Responding to – War and Terrorism with Comedy

by | May 14th, 2013

Welcome to the latest installment of Tragedy Plus Time. Each segment will focus on a particular ‘life crisis’ — sometimes globally tragic, sometimes more of a personal affair — and we’ll explore how many of the comedians we know and love have dealt with it.

If you were following any social media during the Boston bombings last month, you would have observed the global dialogue quickly shift from mundane chatter to the somber details of the attack. Concerns for safety, information about what had transpired, and speculation on the culprits behind it dominated the national conversation. Remarks about any other topic were deemed callous and inappropriate. Especially jokes, on [...]

Tragedy Plus Time

When Comedians Come Out

by | February 19th, 2013

Welcome to the latest installment of Tragedy Plus Time. Each segment will focus on a particular ‘life crisis’ — sometimes globally tragic, sometimes more of a personal affair — and we’ll explore how many of the comedians we know and love have dealt with it.

Though we've made tremendous strides towards embracing homosexuality in the past few years, our society still has an incredibly long way to go. Being openly gay is still a very risky proposition in parts of the United States and the rest of the world. Even in places where we've achieved ‘acceptance,’ there are still numerous ignorant stereotypes to overcome.

Gay comics are in the [...]

Tragedy Plus Time

Divorce Is Hilarious… Sometimes

by | April 16th, 2013

Welcome to the latest installment of Tragedy Plus Time. Each segment will focus on a particular ‘life crisis’ — sometimes globally tragic, sometimes more of a personal affair — and we’ll explore how many of the comedians we know and love have dealt with it.

Comedians having been talking about the chaotic state of their marriages since the dawn of time, or at least since Henny Youngman got into the game. Marriage is an unavoidable topic for performers that want to use their personal lives in their material. And they know the audience doesn’t want to hear about how happy or in love they are — they want to [...]

Tragedy Plus Time

Finding the Humor in Cancer

by | February 5th, 2013

Welcome to our new series Tragedy Plus Time. Each segment will focus on a particular ‘life crisis’ — sometimes globally tragic, sometimes more of a personal affair — and we’ll explore how many of the comedians we know and love have dealt with it.

Cancer is the disease that perpetually reminds us that we are all a bunch of vulnerable, fleshy meat sacks, and that everything we touch, eat, breathe or spend too much time standing near is eventually going to kill us. It affects millions of people every year. A late diagnosis is effectively a death sentence, and the variety show of pain it has provided humanity [...]

Tragedy Plus Time

Using Comedy to Help Overcome Addiction

by | March 5th, 2013

Welcome to the latest installment of Tragedy Plus Time. Each segment will focus on a particular ‘life crisis’ — sometimes globally tragic, sometimes more of a personal affair — and we’ll explore how many of the comedians we know and love have dealt with it.

Though no one has proved it scientifically, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to support the connection between creative types and recreational drug use. Whether it’s an openness to new experiences, a desire to numb the pain, or just the absence of a reason to get up early the next morning, many artists find themselves indulging at some point in their life. What starts as [...]

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