But perhaps she should be. I talk a lot on this blog about what comedy can do, and my main soapbox is that it can do whatever we let it do. If comics tried to do more, and audiences expected more, more could be done.
Comic intent
Counter to this, Mae Yen Yap of the Post, Athens (8/26/2017) quotes Michelle Wolf as saying,
My first priority is to make people laugh. If they get something out of it, great. But I’m not trying to change the world.
So we can put Wolf in that category of comic intent where laughter is the first and most important goal. However, is that what the audience wants?
Expectations of the comic
On the other hand, a student, Edwin Quarcoo, “appreciated how Wolf’s style of comedy tackled serious social problems while presenting the topic in a way that is entertaining but accurate.”
That’s why I watch The Daily Show — because the news is too serious for me. I like to hear things from many perspectives, and it’s great to hear (about social issues) because the truth is in there, but it still makes you laugh.
If we listen to audience members like this, who Young argued are a growing demographic, then we see that people can and do expect multiple things from stand-up. Perhaps they go to different shows for different reasons, but they do go to shows like Wolf’s, and that should tell the comics that there’s more that can be done.
Yes, keep it funny, but don’t hesitate to make some points along the way.
Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Additions?
