Ooh I'll have to watch this now, I've always liked Chris Rock. Saw the Gervais Netflix special - dull, so dull. He's edgy you know, Ricky, he tells you every 30 seconds. Bit like vegans. As in how do you know someone is? Don't worry, they'll tell you.....I find our humourless desert somewhat grating. I'm autistic, undiagnosed for decades, and part of my attempt to avoid the near constant bullying I experienced as a child was to cultivate a comedic alter ego. Comedy matters. In the darkest of times, laughter can unite people....I have fond memories of my Aunt (part Irish as am I, and a gifted comic) regaling us with stories at my uncles wake. A life without laughter is dreary indeed.
Mar 21, 2023·edited Mar 21, 2023Liked by Christopher Gage
There is something really sad about the Roxane Gays of the modern media hellscape (not that I would ever feel sympathy for her): you use your truffle-pig snout to root out the best path to media attention and white-guilt patronage (by anointing yourself Official Defender of the Oppressed), become a professional scold and hall monitor, and then have to be known as and constantly perform your role as buzzkill, basically becoming a human version of "There are kids starving in Africa and you won't eat your vegetables!"
Or as usual Wilde said it better: "There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
Mr. Gage, I will have to search this comedy special out just for the shock value. It is new? I haven't had a good laugh from a comedian in years. I missed Dave Chapelle. No, I've been forced to go watch old George Carlin and Richard Pryor bits. How about the Monty Python troupe? Holy grail, life of Brian. Oh, the memories of laughing out loud and in public of all places.
I haven't seen a Carol Burnett or Benny Hill bit in ages. Honestly I have almost forgotten how to laugh, but I still have you Mr Gage.
As someone who says things that are unapproved by the popular culture such as there are men and there are women and that's it and life begins at conception etc I appreciate someone who fights the good fight and is funny to boot. Kind of like the writer of Oxford Sour.
I enjoyed reading it. And yes, the reality is flawed and so is human nature. Still, it doesn't mean we can't make it better. Or even perfect... Or at least that's how it would appear when looking from the hole we dug ourselves into.
Our flaw is that we are not born preinstalled with our software, so to speak. With the knowledge of being human. And though we have been looking for a way to teach it, reliably and consistently, to every child since forever (Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, etc.) we have yet to figure it out. How to ensure that everyone develops their full potential (becomes self-actualized or super-human, as Nietzsche would describe it).
So yeah, funny as our present conditions may appear -- and I'm not against humor, maybe as the first step towards awakening -- but humor is no substitute for doing the work ;)
It's interesting to compare his recent special to his previous one "Tamborine" in which he confesses and explores his personal infidelity. His insight was that, as a husband and dad, sometimes you're the just the tambourine and you've got to play your heart out even if you're not the star of the show at the moment. It was funny, self-deprecating, vulnerable, and honest--and had some hard-earned wisdom in it. I liked it better.
Whatever was said, Chris Rock can only shine the shoes of George Carlin. And even Carlin never went to the bottom of the deep rabbit hole where the culprit for all modern pains of humanity is hiding. Will there be a widespread comedy show that will be naming the elephant in the room, the one with david's star on its forehead? Nah! Because the media is owned by the elephant. And to earn money with the truth is not yet trendy. But maybe we will see that too! I really hope so! That said, I dont know of any known living comedian who would dare to go all the way!
Ooh I'll have to watch this now, I've always liked Chris Rock. Saw the Gervais Netflix special - dull, so dull. He's edgy you know, Ricky, he tells you every 30 seconds. Bit like vegans. As in how do you know someone is? Don't worry, they'll tell you.....I find our humourless desert somewhat grating. I'm autistic, undiagnosed for decades, and part of my attempt to avoid the near constant bullying I experienced as a child was to cultivate a comedic alter ego. Comedy matters. In the darkest of times, laughter can unite people....I have fond memories of my Aunt (part Irish as am I, and a gifted comic) regaling us with stories at my uncles wake. A life without laughter is dreary indeed.
There is something really sad about the Roxane Gays of the modern media hellscape (not that I would ever feel sympathy for her): you use your truffle-pig snout to root out the best path to media attention and white-guilt patronage (by anointing yourself Official Defender of the Oppressed), become a professional scold and hall monitor, and then have to be known as and constantly perform your role as buzzkill, basically becoming a human version of "There are kids starving in Africa and you won't eat your vegetables!"
Or as usual Wilde said it better: "There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."
Mr. Gage, I will have to search this comedy special out just for the shock value. It is new? I haven't had a good laugh from a comedian in years. I missed Dave Chapelle. No, I've been forced to go watch old George Carlin and Richard Pryor bits. How about the Monty Python troupe? Holy grail, life of Brian. Oh, the memories of laughing out loud and in public of all places.
I haven't seen a Carol Burnett or Benny Hill bit in ages. Honestly I have almost forgotten how to laugh, but I still have you Mr Gage.
As someone who says things that are unapproved by the popular culture such as there are men and there are women and that's it and life begins at conception etc I appreciate someone who fights the good fight and is funny to boot. Kind of like the writer of Oxford Sour.
I enjoyed reading it. And yes, the reality is flawed and so is human nature. Still, it doesn't mean we can't make it better. Or even perfect... Or at least that's how it would appear when looking from the hole we dug ourselves into.
Our flaw is that we are not born preinstalled with our software, so to speak. With the knowledge of being human. And though we have been looking for a way to teach it, reliably and consistently, to every child since forever (Socrates, Buddha, Jesus, etc.) we have yet to figure it out. How to ensure that everyone develops their full potential (becomes self-actualized or super-human, as Nietzsche would describe it).
So yeah, funny as our present conditions may appear -- and I'm not against humor, maybe as the first step towards awakening -- but humor is no substitute for doing the work ;)
Great article. Too many people seem to think "pointing and laughing at people I don't" qualifies as a sense of humor.
It's interesting to compare his recent special to his previous one "Tamborine" in which he confesses and explores his personal infidelity. His insight was that, as a husband and dad, sometimes you're the just the tambourine and you've got to play your heart out even if you're not the star of the show at the moment. It was funny, self-deprecating, vulnerable, and honest--and had some hard-earned wisdom in it. I liked it better.
Excellent piece Christopher. "Sooner or later, one falls through one’s reflection and into the ankle-snaring weeds below." Lovely sentence.
An amazing piece of writing, but even if it wasn't, it would have been worth it just for this:
"In her defence, Roxane Gay is an accomplished writer, versed in many wonderful things—but not, I am sure, in humour, comedy, laughing, or smiling."
Whatever was said, Chris Rock can only shine the shoes of George Carlin. And even Carlin never went to the bottom of the deep rabbit hole where the culprit for all modern pains of humanity is hiding. Will there be a widespread comedy show that will be naming the elephant in the room, the one with david's star on its forehead? Nah! Because the media is owned by the elephant. And to earn money with the truth is not yet trendy. But maybe we will see that too! I really hope so! That said, I dont know of any known living comedian who would dare to go all the way!