NPR

'You Get Paid For Doing Therapy': Stand-Up Comedians On Anger

For centuries, people have turned to jesters for relief from the miseries of life. As it turns out, some stand-up performers turn pain and rage into their own coping and catharsis.
Comedian Mo Amer, seen here in his Netflix special <em>The Vagabond</em>, says that stand-up has been a significant part of his "coping process" with an itinerant childhood.

Veteran comedians know all about the funny side of anger.

The late George Carlin wrote an entire bit called "Free-Floating Hostility." Jerry Seinfeld once declared in the Los Angeles Times that "All comedy starts with anger."

The rant is often a comedian's sharpest tool, whether it's the screams of the late Sam Kinison or the tirades of Chris Rock — like "Stop telling your kids they're special!"

has plenty to be angry about

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR4 min read
Last-minute Candidate José Raúl Mulino Wins Panama's Presidential Election
José Raúl Mulino was set to become the new leader of the Central American nation as authorities unofficially called the race Sunday night after his three nearest rivals conceded.
NPR3 min read
Floods In Southern Brazil Kill At Least 75 People Over 7 Days
Massive floods in Brazil's southern Rio Grande do Sul state have killed at least 75 people over the last seven days, and another 103 were reported missing, local authorities said Sunday.
NPR5 min readIndustries
China Makes Cheap Electric Vehicles. Why Can't American Shoppers Buy Them?
American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.

Related Books & Audiobooks