15 May News Getting You Down? Why A Comedy Show Is The Perfect Antidote…

Living in today’s constantly connected society has its ups and its downs. It’s great that we can keep in touch with friends and family across the world in different time zones and can know what’s happening politically and socially in places outside of Melbourne.

But the downside is that we now have access to a constant feed of news images and information, and unfortunately not all of it is positive or even true. If you find yourself starting to dread switching on the news, tuning in to the radio or browsing your favourite news site, I can hardly blame you. Just remember that there is an antidote to this constant stream of negativity and it lies in your nearest comedy club.

As someone who has been performing at comedy shows in Melbourne and all over the world for many years, I have seen people on many different occasions and in many different contexts. I have often performed in cities shortly after a catastrophic event has occurred and people are still reeling from the shock. At times like this, people don’t want to be alone. They want to be around other people who are sharing the experience and they want to relax out of the reach of technology and its constant input.

This form of escapism can easily be found in your nearest comedy club, watching one of Australia’s best comedians perform. Over my years of performing stand-up comedy I have come to realise that humour is how people cope with negative news and often helps us feel empowered when faced with an impossible situation.

One only has to look at the amount of jokes about dictators as well as jokes that directly address world news and events that can be found in everything from commercials to television shows and movies. After all, as famous scientist and one of the world’s most brilliant minds Stephen Hawking says: “Life would be tragic if it weren’t funny.”

So the next time you feel overwhelmed with the bad news, book your tickets for a comedy show instead. You won’t regret it.