Fight the Power With Comedy

A dispatch from the front lines in Texas.

This newsletter will not make you laugh. There will be no jokes. I will not be telling you that Donald Trump is so stupid that when his secret service agent said, "Enemy at three o'clock," Trump responded, "What do I do until then?"

I will not tell you that Elon Musk is so irritating that mosquitos have a repellent to avoid him.

I also will not say that Marjorie Taylor Green is so dumb she thought Tupac Shakur was a Jewish holiday

I am not going to write any of these things because a friend on Facebook just issued a dire warning that telling jokes about Trump or his administration trivializes the horrors they are perpetrating and makes us lazy in our resistance. In the last five months I have read many things that have horrified me, but this statement made my blood run cold.

Political cartoonist Ann Telnaes quit the Bezos owned Washington Post after this cartoon, which includes Bezos, was rejected by the paper.

Twenty five years ago, I was at a friend’s wedding, and many guests made funny toasts about the couple. When they were over, an Israeli man said to me how much he admired this American wedding tradition. They don’t do it in Israel. In fact, he said, “We have very little humor at all now. People don’t feel like it is appropriate. I have great respect for your country’s ability to laugh even in the face of tragedy, like The Onion headlines two weeks after 9/11: Rest of country feels temporary affection for New York and Hijackers surprised to find themselves in hell.” This Israeli man was the first person who made me aware that comedy is not immutable. It can go away, and when it does, the end is probably nigh.

Last month Roberto and I attended the Moontower Comedy festival here in Austin, and I couldn’t believe how cathartic it was not only to laugh but to laugh really hard. Laughing hard is difficult these days. Sometimes breathing is difficult these days.

When we returned to the US in March, I felt so helpless against the new administration. So many friends have been affected—losing rights, jobs, and health care. I desperately wanted to help, but by doing what?

My Australian friend Lucy said, “Use your comedy. I don’t know how but . . . start there.” I liked the sound of this advice but didn’t feel it could truly be enough. So I called senators, I held up signs at rallies, I made donations to worthwhile causes. But none of these things have required my actual skill set, and honestly, calling a senator makes me as depressed as a Tesla salesman.

I worked in comedy for many years, as a stand-up, actress, and all around wise-ass, but I’ve never considered my experience to be relevant in times of crisis. If you’re in a bunker, you really don’t need someone making cracks about the decor. That said, two of my most popular Escape Hatch newsletters have been satirical looks at the French government and the American government.

I decided to follow Lucy’s advice, and I wrote a subtle punk song called “I’m so angry, f*ck f*ck f*ck!” My amateur band cheerfully learned it, and we played it recently at a club.

The song (remember I said, amateur):

I half expected people to walk out because of the profanity. Instead, the entire audience went crazy. Especially the women. They danced, and they yelled “f*ck f*ck f*ck!” at the top of their lungs, exactly as I had hoped. This ridiculous song is a far cry from “We Shall Overcome,” but it managed to provide catharsis for a whole three minutes. I would like to play it everywhere—the grocery store, the dog park, on Mitch McConnell’s lawn.

I do not agree that humor trivializes horror. I believe it often says things that polite conversation cannot. When people ask how I am doing I cannot scream, “I am so angry! F*ck f*ck f*ck!” but I can scream it on stage.

Resistance takes energy, determination, and stamina. Every so often you have to let some air out of the tires or they will blow out. I feel like everyone around me is in constant danger of having a brain explosion.

Therefore, I will conclude with a joke.

Q: “Why do Republicans insist on supporting Trump?”

A: “Because they believe in taking a baby to full term.”

I hope that this newsletter made you forget for a second that you are depressed and full of rage. And even more, I hope a little laughter gives you the energy to keep fighting.

Please share your favorite jokes in the comments.

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois (until next time),

Carolyn & Roberto

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