As of April 26, the number of Coronavirus cases in the U.S has stretched up to 1,036,529 and the death toll has come up to 59,299. Social distancing is still heavily encouraged amongst the people and many American citizens across the country still remain in quarantine. Non-essential travel is still discouraged.
During these uncertain times, citizens remain confined to the perimeter of their homes and are recommended to only leave for food and other essentials. With the restrictions on travel still remaining and the continued rising of the Coronavirus, many people are struggling to find ways to stay positive. Research conducted by Professor Caty Borum Chattoo, experiment titled the “Laughter Effect” shows how comedy is a very powerful influencer for society.
Available now on Netflix and Comedy Central, there are a great number of comedians and sketch artists who are remarked as professionals for making others laugh. Every comedian has their own unique form of stand up with their own written material and their own unique sense of humor.
Jim Gaffigan:
This comedian was born on July 7th 1966 and raised in Chesterton, Indiana. In addition to being a comedian he is also a writer, actor and producer. Much of his material focuses on fatherhood, observations, laziness and food. Unlike other comedians, Gaffigan’s material does not use a lot of profanity. This allows for more families the opportunity to enjoy being in his audience.
“I think he takes a more wholistic approach to comedy where he respects his audience,” Joe Rosica, sales representative for Keyance, said. “He looks at material that would be funny to a whole family versus other comedians who think about genders and age groups.”
William Fredrick Burr:
Also known as Bill Burr, he was born on June 10th 1968 in Canton, Massachusetts. He is also an actor and podcaster, with his popular show, “The Monday Morning Podcast.” Burr’s material tends to focus on politics, the news, and his low tolerances for ignorance. Unlike Jim Gaffigan, Burr’s stand up performances are strong with profanity and may only appeal to certain audiences.
“Bill Burr is definitely more for the tough minded and strong willed,” Matt Harty, senior, education major, at East Stroudsburg University said. “He walks the line on what is offensive and what isn’t with no real concern for who may hear what he says.”
Rosica also added that Burr tends to be aware that his audience is usually people with everyday frustrations and that he does a great job of commenting on it.
Jerry Seinfeld:
This American comedian was born on April 29th 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He has been best known for his work in the American Sitcom “Seinfeld”, as an actor, producer, writer and director. His material revolves around a humorous twist on everyday life. Much like Jim Gaffigan he uses very little profanity in his act and usually known to have a well mannered presence on stage.
“He tackles a lot of controversial topics and is often regarded as a very popular comic,” Harty said. “ His long lasting career also lends him the ears for audiences of many different ages.”
Keegan Michael Key and Jordan Peele:
These two bi-racial comedians have been partners since the early 2000s during their time on the show “Mad TV.” While both of them have experience doing stand up comedy they are most well known for their performances in sketch comedy. From 2012 to 2015 they had their own show on Comedy Central titled “Key and Peele” The show included the duo performing stand up and sketches. Many of the sketches revolved around their portrayal of white and black stereotypes.
“I have seen every episode of their show and in all of their sketches, they tackle a lot of different social issues, current events and they make a lot of pop culture references,” Harty said.
“When they are on stage doing stand up they are very animated and energetic with their facial expressions,” Rosica said. “They act just close enough to the line to be funny but also that slightly offensive side that some people would still find funny.”
The list of comedians is massive and a lot of their acts can be found through Youtube, Netflix and social media. The comedian’s listed here can be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and are sharing their comedic perspectives on the current quarantine situation.
