“Tell me what you love, and I will tell you who you are.” –Arsène Houssaye
I was interested in trying something different from an ordinary blog. Rather than little old me randomly opining on the state of the world (it’s a mess), the latest book I read (M Train by Patti Smith –excellent), or celery (aka Satan’s dental floss), I wanted to set up a sort of confession album, a 19th-Century practice in which friends asked each other questions, the most famous one being the Proust Questionnaire. For this confession album, I figured what better way to get to know people than to ask them to talk about something they love. And so, here are the questions, with the hopes of learning more about some interesting people and the things that move and shape them. Today’s interview is with Alex, who is speaking on comedy.
What is one thing (object, idea, practice, etc.) that you love?
I love comedy, especially in darker times. Jokes are like bomb squads, always diffusing tragic situations and sadness. I mean, the dead person’s not there to refute the situation at the core of said joke. See? Fun.
How did you first come to discover comedy? Do you remember?
I think it was during my formative years. I wasn’t a “normal” baby, for medical reasons. So, I had to find something to let people know about me, in a whole new fashion.
Do you feel like anyone mentored you when you first discovered or in developing your love of comedy? If so, who and under what circumstances?
I had mentors, mainly people whose comedy I would watch on the YouTube thingy. One of my mentors in comedy was the great (and late) Robin Williams. The speed of light inside this man’s brain was extraordinary. Also, Hitchcock. “Puns are the highest form of comedy.”
What do you love about comedy?
Making others laugh so that they can forget the dire aspects of their lives is what I love about it.
How do you express your love for it?
By continuing to do it.
How do you feel it makes your life better?
Not sure. It does and it doesn’t. Seeing others feel better is always a quick-fix of a relief. But it also becomes an addiction, in the long run. And when I feel as though I’ve spent a day without making someone laugh, I feel almost like a failure. I need that laughter, like a drug addict needs a fix. Maybe, it would make my life better if people remembered me for something, after my demise.
If someone were interested in discovering more about comedy, where would you direct them? Where would they start?
Watch and learn the classics. Just like any art form. Learn from the masters, whomever they may be.