Seriously Funny: Why We Trust Comics in Times of Crisis

When there is so much going on in the world, there are a few perspectives that I seek out—spiritual leaders, experts–and comics.

I trust them to “tell it like it is” because comics cry bullshit when they see it. And I trust them to deliver their truth with a wry touch of humor that makes it easier to take.

To paraphrase Mary Poppins: a spoonful of humor makes the powerful realizations go down.

I don’t mean that you should be cracking jokes at people’s pain or “punching down” at all. But comics have ways of phrasing things that give us little breaks and powerful speakers need to know them.

Do yourself and your audience a favor by learning the 5 predominant joke types and using them wisely.