Self Deprecating Standup Comedy - We can relate.

Standup comedy takes courage. It is not only the courage to walk onto the lighted stage, but the courage to tell the world your story. And have them laugh at it, and you. Self deprecating humor is the touchstone of the soul. When you can make others laugh at your expense, you are really making them laugh at themselves.
It has been said that self deprecating comedians are such funny people because they have in their hearts the pain of the ages. Living life is an injurious thing, and the stand-up reaches into us all with the healing salve of laughter. Even if that laughter comes at their expense.
Rodney Dangerfield's classic line about not getting respect told us all of his view of himself and the world. When Rodney talked about his relationships to his family, friends, and the world, he gave us a glimpse into the nature of human relationships.


Take my wife, please! Such an introspective analysis of marriage offered by a man is rare. And even though it was tinged with humor, it was also tinged with life's reality. We often do not handle well our relationships with others, and others often do not handle well their relationships with us. But out of love, we carry on. And that is the true nature of self deprecating standup comedy. It comes from the love of the soul for life.
Comedy has been around since the inception of human culture. There has always been a funny bone in the human spirit, and those who tickle it are often near and dear to our heart. And the reason for this is that they spare no resource in baring their heart and soul to us. The self deprecating stand-up shows us all their scars, and asks us to laugh along with them in their healing. It is an extraordinary revealing of the human soul.
And the revelation gives us insight into the self. The comedian's self and our self as well. The reason we laugh so hard is that we relate to the story. We relate to the pain. That's why it heals. We can laugh at our pain and it makes us stronger.
The stand up comedian's self deprecating comedy routine ultimately is a lesson. It is a lesson of life's beauty, tragedy, and love. We love the stand-ups because they love themselves. And they have learned that love in sharing the pain of life. We relate to that.