Artist Statement
Just a few years ago Oprah Winfrey said in a commercial that she "loves bread" and for as long as I can remember I've felt the same way about— comedy. There's not a single genre or media outlet that I don't follow, from late-night talk shows, to sketch comedy, to stand-up comedy specials and films, the list goes on, that's right Oprah, "I love comedy."
Comedy to me is one of the greatest inventions of mankind and, if used correctly can become something greater that connects us all during difficult times, opens our eyes to new points of view, and exposes us to stories we might not have been receptive to had it come in another form. Great stand-up comedians and late-night hosts are today's modern day social scientists, who can provoke discussions of current issues that I feel perhaps many journalists can't, challenging the status quo.
The thing I find most interesting with great comedy is that no matter the genre or outlet it has the ability to entertain audiences with humor on one hand and educate and inform them with the other. I'm inspired by comedians like Hannah Gadsby, Trevor Noah and John Oliver who transcend what stand-up comedy can be, which in times can even lead towards social and political change.
It is that admiration of comedy that drove me several years ago to tackle my fears and begin writing and performing stand-up comedy myself. I am no longer just a media consumer but, a content creator, writing jokes, sketches and currently developing a feature length script.
Ultimately, in the current political and pop culture landscape I feel that media is playing an ever more important role in shaping the way we think and how we feel about certain topics and, I feel that one of the most powerful tools we can use to shape social discourse is comedy. And, it's this passion and drive that makes me want to pursue a career working as a writer and producer for late-night TV because humor can be a fantastic vehicle to deliver salient messages about our culture and our role in it.
Comedy to me is one of the greatest inventions of mankind and, if used correctly can become something greater that connects us all during difficult times, opens our eyes to new points of view, and exposes us to stories we might not have been receptive to had it come in another form. Great stand-up comedians and late-night hosts are today's modern day social scientists, who can provoke discussions of current issues that I feel perhaps many journalists can't, challenging the status quo.
The thing I find most interesting with great comedy is that no matter the genre or outlet it has the ability to entertain audiences with humor on one hand and educate and inform them with the other. I'm inspired by comedians like Hannah Gadsby, Trevor Noah and John Oliver who transcend what stand-up comedy can be, which in times can even lead towards social and political change.
It is that admiration of comedy that drove me several years ago to tackle my fears and begin writing and performing stand-up comedy myself. I am no longer just a media consumer but, a content creator, writing jokes, sketches and currently developing a feature length script.
Ultimately, in the current political and pop culture landscape I feel that media is playing an ever more important role in shaping the way we think and how we feel about certain topics and, I feel that one of the most powerful tools we can use to shape social discourse is comedy. And, it's this passion and drive that makes me want to pursue a career working as a writer and producer for late-night TV because humor can be a fantastic vehicle to deliver salient messages about our culture and our role in it.
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