Climate Comedy Gains Traction as Tool for Engagement, โAction
NEW YORK โCITY – as anxieties surrounding climate change โescalate, a growing movement advocates for the power of humor to not only address the crisis but also inspire action. A โrecent event โคat Emerson College’s New York campusโข explored this concept, with comedians and scholars arguingโ that โฃlaughter can be a surprisingly effective catalyst for change.
The discussion, part of โa Climate Week series,โข centered on the idea that traditional avenues of interaction – government and โคmainstream โคmedia โข- are increasingly met with distrust, creating space โคfor comedians to emerge as trusted voices. Ke, an Emerson student whose class develops material forโฃ professional comics, โฃpresented a monologue arguing for theโ unique potential of climate โคcomedy.
“We’re inโ a new ecology nowโฃ where we distrust government and traditional media,and comedians are emerging โคas legitimate sources for news and thought โฃleadership. or more simplyโ put, we are now taking our โcomedians seriously and politicians as a joke,” Ke stated. She further posited that comedy offers a pathway to hope, contrasting it with the inevitability of tragedy.”in a tragedy, it’s ‘too lateโ to save the day,’ but in a comedy, ‘some often preposterous idea โis put into action โฃandโค itโข turns the table around these human-caused results, and โฆ we get a happy ending.’ [C]limate comedy is a preposterous idea that mightโ just โliberate us through that strange involuntaryโ opening of the mouth and โthe mindโ known as laughter.”
Panelists explored how comedyโ can translate into tangible action. โcomedian โคand writer McMahan cited Last Week Tonight with John Oliver as a triumphant model, noting the show’s frequent calls to action following comedic segments. “So, the message of โthe show lives beyond the show. It’s just giving peopleโ one thing โขto do afterwards, just one thing. And if it’s โฃa fun thing – โขa funny thing – all the better, โbecause than they’ll โคwant to be part of โขthat,” he explained.
However, โคscholar Dr. Erika Osnes-Stoedefalke, who authored the article “good Natured Climate Comedy” โขfor Comedy Studies, cautioned againstโค relying solely on satire. She argued that satire, by its nature, often relies on shamingโ or exposing flaws, potentially hindering positive change. โ”Satire is always at someone’s expense, โขandโ works to expose theirโฃ weakness or ineptitude,” she said. Instead, sheโ advocates for “good-natured” comedy that focuses on โคshared human experiences and encourages collective reflection. “I wonder what’s accomplished when people are made to be afraid or ashamed. They make some of their worst choices,” Osnes-Stoedefalke added. “Sometiems we need the whole range [of comedy styles], but I’m interested in exploring โtheseโข other forms of comedy to see whatโฃ kind of impact our comedy is really creating.”
The eventโฃ underscored a growing belief that humor, strategically employed, can be โa powerful tool in the fight against climate change, offering a more accessible and engaging pathway to awareness and action than traditional โคmethods.
