In this episode we talked to Caty Borum Chatoo (Twitter: CatyBC), Director of the Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) and Executive in Residence at the American University School of Communication in Washington, D.C. Before academia, she ranged from working with Norman Lear to producing documentaries. She collaborated with comedian Hasan Minhaj on the documentary, Stand Up Planet, identifying comedians in the Global South who tackled serious social justice issues, including global poverty. Comedians and activists share the common goal of identifying problems with the status quo. Caty takes us through why comedy is a viable way of talking through, and getting actual engagement, with difficult issues; the new generation of YouTubers and activists who are bringing it to legislators through, for example, comedy videos about the treatment of sexual assault survivors, and the “comedian in residence” they have at her research center. Also, we consider why it is important that people with different lived experiences and backgrounds can speak directly to their publics without first trying to appeal to majority gatekeepers and how the digital has helped re-shape how we think of audiences. Comedy can help with “activist fatigue”: we need hope, Caty says, not just anger, to deal with such depressing issues. If the question is, how do we get people to engage in serious issue? Caty argues that comedy, as solution, needs to be taken seriously.
Here are some more of the things mentioned in this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper:
Caty’s forthcoming book (with Lauren Feldman), A Comedian and An Activist Walk Into a Bar: The (Serious) Role of Comedy in Social Justice
A comprehensive list of Norman Lear’s productions
Norman Lear and remaking One Day at a Time
CMSI’s The Laughter Effect: How Comedy Works [to Change the World]
Hasan Minhaj shows Homecoming King and Patriot Act
Comedians Franchesca Ramsey, Zahra Noorbakhsh
Activist Amanda Nguyen
Funny or Die: Even Supervillains Think Our Sexual Assault Laws Are Insane
More on Bethany Hall, CMSI’s Comedian in Residence
Caty’s Talk, “How Poop Jokes Can Save the World”
Baratunde Thurston on Hacking Comedy
Will Rogers’ Native American activism
Eddie Cantor’s Jewish activismListen to our All India Bakchod episode for more on using comedy to address issues
