God (n): A comedian playing to an audience that is afraid to laugh.
Attributed to both Mark Twain and Voltaire
I think that comedians are societies pressure-valve — and as such they fulfill an important function. After all, some things that happen are just too … like:
The part that it is apparently legal in Florida to play wanna-be-neighborhood-hero and stalk and shoot an unarmed Black teenager and claim self-defense is … well, the comedian said it best.
But I also wonder whether it would not make more sense to combine that pressure valve with a steam engine. Instead of dissipating all that pent up frustration and energy, why not channel it into something useful? Why not give one to three things viewers can do after the show, or — with always with you, always on mobile devices — even during the show?
This way, comedians would not only alleviate the pressure, but actually help to make the world a better place.