Cue Laugh Track
November 20, 2023
Writer: Mia Bronstein
Editor: Haley Gagerman
“I don’t understand it. I really don’t. But sometimes comedy is the only way forward through tragedy.”
Live from New York, it was Saturday night on October 14th. Host Pete Davidson addressed the world on SNL with these words for the first time since he was a Repertory Player. Instead of the typical petty punchlines and pun-packed, 8-minute-long cold-open, he confronted the nation with an overwhelmingly honest speech acknowledging the war occurring in Israel.
It is moments like these where I understand what I was attempting to convey at the beginning of my senior year of high school. I, embarrassingly and unfortunately, submitted the following to over 12 colleges and universities:
“I realize my life, and especially my triumphs and failures, emulate a sitcom - a series of concise 20-minute episodes filled with new challenges requiring quick adaptation. My everyday life has a kicker, muddle, and triumph, but instead of being 22 minutes long with two commercial breaks, mine is the million moments of success and failure.”
It was one of those deja vu come-down-to-Earth moments. While the foundation of my life has entirely changed, who I am at my core and my interests have remained the same. A short but seemingly eternal two years later, having gained a superiority complex after taking numerous college-level writing courses, today, I recognize the idea was there. Yet, ignorance blinded me. I am drawn to sitcoms, stand-up specials, and even a vulnerable speech from Davidson because they are the highest form of self-deprecation - an outlet to make light, cope with the most challenging situations, and unite a community.
If you are unfamiliar with Davidson’s background, he lost his father in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an anecdote he has been vulnerable and transparent about throughout his career. In addition, later on in the live show, he sang “I’m Just Pete,” a parody listing off every problem he has, from his frequent trips to rehab, low self-esteem, and the internet’s infatuation with everything he does right or wrong. Society can’t get enough of him, no matter how mismatched his clothes or how bad his haircut is. Why? Because he is honest through the medium of comedy.
I have niche interests, and there’s a good chance I haven’t seen your favorite rom-com or bawled my eyes out while watching The Notebook, but I can recite John Mulaney’s stand-up specials and I will easily elect to watch The King of Staten Island and SNL “Stefon” compilations for the thousandth time. I could write an anthology of essays praising the importance of laughter and comedy, and I wouldn’t be the first person to do so. Still, I think there is something more important about embracing humor on a highly distributed level - it truly is the best way forward through tragedy and darkness.
My personal statement was a lesson of foreshadowing into a larger self-discovery realization. Although I have experienced challenges and hardships, there is something special about using comedy as a means of perseverance for myself and inspiring others. While this does not apply to every situation, I am responsible for encouraging those around me to find the silly, the mundane, the absolutely absurd, and everything in between, even in the most challenging times. Davidson’s material is well-received because of his raw honesty, and I find it inspiring and admirable.
Pete concluded his speech by saying, “My heart is with everyone whose lives have been destroyed this week, but tonight, I’m going to do what I’ve always done in the face of tragedy, and that’s trying to be funny.” I hope we all take a page from his book and work to see the imperfect positives, even if it seems impossible.
