How Comedians Became Public Intellectuals Article Review

Megan Garber provides many examples of how “comedians are acting not just as joke-tellers, but as truth-tellers” through what some might consider as only being a joke. In her essay, “How Comedians Became Public Intellectuals,” published in May of 2015, Megan Garber explains how comedy provides the body politic an ability to discuss and debate otherwise pejorative or taboo matters. In reality, however, today’s comedians convey meaning through their jokes and dare us to question what is happening in our world. Comedy often encompasses sensitive subjects such as racism, sexism, economic inequality, and feminism. Normally, discussions of these areas are divisive, because on such topics people hold varying views and opinions. So by allowing discussion of these sensitive areas comedians serve a necessary and vital function; comedians serve as a protective social buffer in allowing people to become educated and better navigate these issues. Amy Schumer, who is world-renowned for her hilarious, yet often highly-offensive skits and stand-up comedy routines, while having no shame in addressing, mocking, and poking fun at taboo and pejorative topics such as sexual violence, racism, gun control, and rape, is one amongst many of today's comedians who serve as a modern-day truth-teller, helping us to understand and navigate our ever-changing world. Schumer displays the shifting role of today’s comedians who have become public intellectuals through her many works of comedy, daring us to question the cultural debates and issues circulating today’s world. 

Amy Schumer produces works of dark comedy centered on taboo topics and makes us reconsider what we perceive to be “hot.” Extending beyond jokes and laughter, Schumer asks us to reflect on many common, but flawed scenarios of cultural criticism and beauty we might face in everyday relationships. In her 2015 skit, “He’s Good Looking” Amy Schumer explores uncomfortable topics and explicit ideas as it relates to sexual circumstances. She jokes about her boyfriend in the scene being more comfortable giving mouth-to-mouth CPR to another male, as long as they were what she perceived to be as “hot.” She conveys the argumentative appeal pathos by offering alternate scenarios and rather imaginative scenarios, in an attempt to get her boyfriend to admit to finding males attractive. It is through her continual display of pathos by instilling emotion within the scenarios she describes to her boyfriend that Schumer is able to make light of such an awkward, explicit discussion between her and her boyfriend, thus making an uncomfortable series of scenarios rather amusing. Furthermore, given that couples within Schumer’s audience have found themselves in similar situations, she is able to interlock emotion between her audience and the skit, taking the edge off of the rather explicit and sensitive nature of the subject.  Schumer adds to her efforts by following her boyfriend around the kitchen, bringing up additional male celebrities as options for her boyfriend to choose from. The skit concludes with the boyfriend kissing a male-stranger with long hair, leaving Schumer utterly confused. Through these awkward, explicit scenarios, Schumer solidifies the widely-known concept that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” What one person may find attractive, or “hot,” as put by Amy Schumer, may not be so hot to another person. In her 2015 essay “How Comedians Became Public Intellectuals,” Megan Garber notes that Schumer’s dark comedy is aimed at “making a point about inclusion and exclusion, about the individuality of experience, about the often flawed way we think about ourselves as a collective. This is comedy at only the most superficial level; what it is, really, is cultural criticism.” In regards to Schumer’s “He’s Good Looking” skit, Amy dares us to question our own individual views on what is “hot,” and how we often think about ourselves in a flawed manner when it comes to attracting mates. It is for these examples and reasons that Schumer serves as a modern-day truth teller, helping us to examine and reflect on the often flawed lens through which we perceive others’ beauty.

Sexism and gender roles are both topics which Amy Schumer places a heavy focus on, topics that deemed “need to be talked about,” as Megan Garber has previously stated. In his article, “Amy Schumer Is Rich, Famous, and in Love: Can She Keep Her Edge?” Bruce Handy gives thoughtful analysis of Amy Schumer’s skit titled “The Last F**kable Day.” He explains Amy Schumer’s intention behind this skit, and specifically the stereotype that every Hollywood actor soon reaches an age where they are “no longer f**ckable,” as Schumer puts it. It is through this skit that Schumer displays the high beauty standards and stereotypes that are often part of the entertainment industry and society at large. Schumer further helps communicate this stereotype to her audience through displaying the argumentative appeal ethos. Being a world-renowned comedian, Schumer has the practical experience and personal accounts of experiences of sexism. In her article, The Inside Amy Schumer Sketches That Know Your Life, Elena Nicolaou states that “Schumer is by women, for women.” With such a high level of practical experience and having these standards placed upon herself as well within the industry, as she falls within the demographic of women this beauty-standard in her skit is aimed toward, she is able to utilize her credible position in the comedy scene in order to spread her message surrounding sexism. Women have been held to often unrealistic and unattainable beauty standards as they age, specifically within the Hollywood-based entertainment industry, and Schumer’s display of ethos masterfully captures this depressing and ever-growing reality of the high beauty standards women are held to in the industry. Through comedy and the amusing, yet explicit jokes Schumer includes in her skit “The Last F**kable Day,” she is able to lighten the load of such a taboo and sexist topic aimed specifically towards females within the entertainment industry. What might have offended people prior to the skit is better able to be understand and talked about, as Garber previously stated in her essay that Schumer’s comedy serves as a “social lubricant,” thus making discussion of highly charged issues both appropriate and entertaining, where otherwise the opinions expressed in these topics pertaining to sexist stereotypes might prove offensive; Thus, by instilling “moral purpose” and intentionality behind every skit in an effort to shed light on sexism and gender equality, Amy has successfully “made women’s issues something that dudes want to tune in for,” as Karley Sciortino states in her article “Breathless: Why Amy Schumer Is an Amazing Feminist.” Her comedy extends far beyond crude jokes and laughter. Schumer pushes us to examine the sexist nature of the entertainment industry, and provides us a comfortable and light-hearted way to consider real-world issues.

Being a strong advocate for stricter gun-control laws, Amy Schumer’s works of comedy provide harsh realities and bits of truth surrounding a sensitive topic. A topic of which people hold many differing opinions and views. Extending far beyond comedy for the sake of laughter, Schumer has lent a helping hand to Senator Schumer, in an attempt to gain political traction and move society in the direction of accepting tighter gun-control laws. Furthermore, in an article published by Guardian, “Amy Schumer calls for tighter gun control after Trainwreck shootings,” Senator Schumer mentions the widespread assistance Schumer has provided in the push for tighter gun-control laws. “Having people like Amy speaking out reaches people who I could never reach,” indicating the argumentative appeal ethos; Schumer’s strong credibility and ethics to persuade people have allowed her to successfully aid Senator Charles Schumer in bringing awareness to New York citizens of the urgent need for stricter gun-control laws. Schumer also displays the argumentative appeal logos in her reasons behind pushing for tighter gun-control laws in New York alongside Senator Charles Schumer. “My heart goes out to Jillian and Mayci, to the survivors, to the families and everyone who is tied to the tragic, senseless and horrifying actions of this man who shouldn’t have been able to put his hands on a gun in the first place.” Being that the casualties and tragedies listed above are fact, these tragic, yet realistic occurrences serve as a more than strong-enough reason to enforce stricter gun-control laws, in an attempt to prevent similar tragedies from happening in the future as a result of access to guns being rather too unregulated.

Amy Schumer's highly-offensive, yet heavily instilled with moral-purpose works of comedy have only scratched the surface of what society needs to examine and consider in order to continue moving forward. Topics that need to be talked about have now made their way into the conversation in a rather less-taboo and sensitive fashion, partially in credit to Schumer’s many works. In credit to comedy, society has been given an alternate lens through which to view societal issues; an ability to extend beyond the face value of a joke, and to wrestle with its moral purpose and message to society between the lines of the comedian’s script. Schumer has chosen to ask difficult questions, push boundaries and lift society; have you?