Chris Gethard is one of the most underrated comedians today. His honesty, kindness and DIY spirit embodies all the reasons why I fell in love with comedy in the first place.
I began to love comedy because it seemed like the only place you could really talk about how you feel; you don’t have to pretend. I love Chris Gethard’s work because it is unflinchingly honest. Some comedians say their comedy is “honest,” but I think Gethard takes it to a whole other level. He allows himself to be vulnerable, to be exposed and to be helpless in order to make others feel better. Despite this, Chris Gethard doesn’t evoke pity.
Chris Gethard’s humor isn’t about feeling sorry for himself, it’s about embracing his humanity and encouraging us to do the same. A segment on his cable TV show, The Chris Gethard Show, involved taking Skype calls from viewers and simply asking them if they were OK. This segment not only shows Gethard’s empathy and courage but also just how damn funny he can be. He earnestly tries to make his callers feel better but openly admits when he can’t do anything about their situation.
I wanted to get into comedy to make people happy. Many comedians do this but few are as kind as Gethard. I’ve met plenty of people who claim they want their work to be “edgy” but they just end up taking potshots at people who are already being excluded from other parts of society (women, people of color, the disabled, the LGBT community). Not only does Gethard succeed in not excluding these people, he welcomes them. His philosophy that we are all imperfect may not be new but it’s never been more well-executed. It’s also never been more believable.
Another reason I wanted to get into comedy was because I felt that it was a business that literally anyone could succeed in. That’s not to say that it’s easy to succeed but rather that no matter how weird/sad/alone you were, you might be able to make people laugh. If you didn’t fit in anywhere, you might fit in the world of comedy. Gethard exemplifies this idea. He’s made something just as uncompromisingly strange as he is and it’s actually being broadcast on television! The show’s mere existence feels like a win for every miserable nerd in the world.
But there’s also a feeling that maybe Gethard still hasn’t made it, that he’s constantly trying to prove himself to his audience. My dad once told me that he loves Bruce Springsteen because, in his mind, Springsteen performs every show like it might be his last. He gives it everything he’s got. That is how I feel about Chris Gethard. A lot of my friends are probably tired of hearing me talk about Gethard ad nauseaum and I’m sorry. I promise I’ll shut up about him sometime in the next month. But here’s the reason why I probably won’t. Many comedians have taught me invaluable lessons about comedy. Whether it’s about timing, voice or rhythm, I have a great number of influences who have taught me what it means to be a comedian, but Chris Gethard has taught me what it means to be human.
Joanna Loney, a Contributing Cartoonist for the Voice, can be reached for comment at JLoney17@wooster.edu