Seeing the Comedy in Covid Corruption

The power of laughter and how some people just don't 'get it' (yet)

Today I’m taking a break from the depressing analysis of covid-related corruption, like the taxpayers’ money spent on Large Law Firms NZ Ltd. Instead, I’m reflecting again on the power of laughter. We live in stressful, disturbing times, and we need to poke fun at this evilness. It’s the only way to survive.

The long history of comic actors, for instance in the form of the mute fool or court jester, underscores the crucial role comedians have in times of socio-political instability. Often the comedian has a fun question to pose but as a moral judgement, based on social commentary. Using mime brings another dimension to the open question.

National Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Power of Laughter

Good comedy is not just mindless entertainment; we demand more from stand-ups who just make funny observations. New interpretations of our everyday experiences provide insights and often counter-narrative views of public issues. Because these counter-narratives are presented in a satirical way, they become less confrontational and more easily and widely acceptable. Speaking explicitly about our own human faults allows a shift in cultural consciousness.

This weekend, we went to see Sarah Millican, a comedian on tour in NZ from the UK. In those hazy pre-covid days, back when I listened to the BBC without cringing in disgust (in what must have been an hypnotic trance?), I thought she was funny. And yes, she still is funny, in that rather naive way that we can laugh (with pity?) at those still in the mass formation. Smutty, silly, funny. Sometimes even insightful - but overall, unintelligent. How can she STILL not see the elephant in the room?

I admit, before 2020 being a Pom away from ‘home’, I would listen daily to the BBC World Service news - back then I thought it was presenting genuine and fairly balanced views. I loved listening to The Archers Omnibus over the weekend, and on occasions I would tune into the hilarious satirical BBC comedy nights, where Sarah Millican was occasionally a guest.

I didn’t know before going to her show, whether she was ‘awake’ to the covid fraud or not; we went along purely for the healing power of socialising and laughter. And yes, we laughed our bloody socks off. Incidentally, in my teaching, I often include a session with the wonderful Laughter Guru, as an example of free, easy stress-relief (do try it!)…

But it struck me, as part of a 4000+ audience, what a wasted opportunity this was, to chip away at peoples’ cognitive dissonance. Audiences are relaxed and open to new ideas. Many members of the crowd were her fans - she couldn’t put a step wrong if she tried. But Sarah obstinately stuck to her ‘safe’ rude subjects of intimate female bodies. Unbelievably, despite numerous close connections within her rants, she avoided any pokes at the unethical trans ideology, Jabcinda Jackboot, the lockdowns or the masks. Surely, even without mentioning the toxic injections, any of these subjects were easy, funny fodder for a genuine comedian? To be honest, Covid was conspicuous by its absence. Just as the single face-mask-wearer in the crowd was conspicuous by her presence.

I thought it was interesting how one the themes in Sarah’s show involved asking us to choose between two labels for ourselves - Eager Beaver or Late Bloomer. I’ll leave readers to guess for themselves what she meant by these. Free badges were handed out at the end for added ‘value’…

Binary thinking: ingroup/outgroup

The irony of this strategy wasn’t lost on me. I remember the virtue-signalling badges handed out to those who conformed, compared with those worn by brave souls who did not:

Examples of the ingroup badges (Instagram)

Is this where the problem lies in trying to wake people up? Five years on, are people like Sarah still clinging to that tragic human trait of thinking in a binary way - us vs them? Are the ‘Anti-Vaxxers’ still the ‘outgroup’ to her, despite all we have experienced together, and learned over the past five years? Undoubtedly Sarah will also have friends and family who have been negatively impacted by covid - lost their jobs, homes, health…maybe even their lives. I wonder how much longer these people can disguise their confusion, shame, shock…?

On the flip side, there are many comedians who have seen through the fraud, exactly because they pull attention to the obvious contradictions in the narrative. For example: Why were gyms closed during covid, but liquor stores open? How could the physical-distancing be an arbitrary measurement in one country, and a different distance in another? What made masks be considered ‘utterly useless’ by experts one day, and then mandated the next? There’s an endless list of these illogical claims that I don’t need to repeat here. It was never about public health.

Thankfully, there are authentic, uncaptured comedians who are calling out the covid fraud with very clever strategies. We need more! Maybe the most widely known in the UK is cartoonist Bob Moran, who I’ve written about before here.

I’d also like to give a shout out to

Abi Roberts

for pushing the boundaries and standing-up for justice and ethics. You may have heard her on Delingpod? Here’s a clip of Abi at Comedy Unleashed where a top comment says it all:

“One of the rare comedians who is brave enough to call out the ridiculous BS churned out over the last three years.”

Have you got a favourite comedian or covid-nonsense joke? Please share it below so we can have a laugh together to help us through this insanity. Thanks.

PS More serious writing will follow very soon!

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