Introduction to Stand Up Comedy Part VII: Stand Up Comedy as Social Commentary

Content: Dennis Leary’s and Chris Rock’s stand up, particularly Leary’s No Cure for Cancer and Rock’s Bring the Pain

Introduction: A professor in college noted the role of oral historians and poets, like Homer and Samuel Johnson, in early civilizations as askers of difficult questions who brought attention to the weaknesses of their societies. He lamented their absence today and asked somewhat rhetorically, “Who do we have that serves that role?” I say “somewhat rhetorically” when it reality it was “almost entirely rhetorically,” as he completely ignored my answer that stand up comics do that today. It’s a shame he ignored this idea because I was right on. And it was albums like No Cure for Cancer and Bring the Pain that convinced me of this.

Dream’s Age at Introduction: 14

Reason for That Age: I discovered No Cure for Cancer when I was around 14, and Leary’s critique of our culture’s hypocrisy surrounding drugs, smoking, and mental health connected with me. I loved the songs, the stand up, everything. Admittedly, the album has not aged as well as some of the other materials I’ve listed in this series, but Leary’s raw frustration remains palpable such that the album is still quite funny. I like to think that in order to maintain that level of rage throughout the album, Leary had to channel Bill Hicks’ outrage at Dennis Leary getting famous doing Bill Hicks’ routine.

Rock’s Bring the Pain didn’t air on HBO until 1996, well after my 14th birthday. But had it existed when I was 14, I would have listened it to until the laser of my stereo cut a groove in the CD. It would have been up there with Emo for me. His rants about white racism, black racism, and the self-indulgence of American wealth were scathing, hysterical and intelligent. Obviously, his observations about racism are the best known riffs from the routine, but his ridicule of Americans who take their wealth for granted are just as biting. For example: “People are starving all over the world, what do you mean ‘red meat will kill you’? Don’t eat no red meat? No, don’t eat no green meat… if you’re one of the chosen few people in the world lucky enough to get your hands on a steak, bite the shit out of it!” That still rings true today. At age 14, Dream is the perfect age to learn about the glorious contradiction of difficult social criticism and tear-inducing laughter.

What I Want Dream to Get Out of It: As with a lot of things, I want Dream to think. After he or she stops laughing and wipes the tears away, I want Dream to say “That’s a great point, I never thought of it that way. Maybe I should think more about that problem, and maybe I should find other comedians who make me think while laughing." That last bit is important. By the age of 14, Dream will be beyond the point of wanting me as a content guide. So I want Rock and Leary to point the way to Dream discovering thoughtful comedians on his or her own.

Be content,
John