The Not-So-Funny Side Of Comedy: Documentaries Reveal The Harsh Realities
Laughter makes the world go round; at least that is what "they" say. However, many stand-up comedians have stories that would make you cry and make you cringe. Often, what you may find out, is that comedians are so funny because they turned to humor to cope with their pain.
Some of the funniest people have had the most painful life experiences, as many a stand up comedy documentary shows. The following comedians have used comedy to rise to the top and become famous and successful. Unfortunately, once famous, many of these comedians found other ways to cope with their traumas and tragedies.
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne rose through the ranks of stand-up comics until she was asked to perform her routine on TV. That led to a sitcom, which led to more fame. While she made people laugh about the harsh realities of working class families, she hid the fact that she was repeatedly molested as a child. She used comedy and food as a means to cope with and hide her pain. Despite her recent faux pas, she is still loved by millions.
Gilda Radner
This funny lady and second wife of comedian Gene Wilder suffered from an eating disorder in college. Physical and sketch comedy was her way of dealing with a lot of pain and difficult situations in her life. It was not an eating disorder that took her life, but ovarian cancer.
Sam Kinison
The late Sam Kinison was the son of a Pentecostal preacher. Sam himself became a preacher before he abandoned it for comedy. Sam's trademark was to scream a lot of his punch lines, and exude rage about multiple topics. Most people thought that the rage was an act, when in fact it stemmed from unresolved psychological and emotional issues from when he was very small and his parents divorced and divided the children unequally. Sam developed a drug habit after he became famous. It was a drunk driver that caused Sam's death.
Robin Williams
Everyone's favorite funny man, this late comedian had his share of troubles too. As he began rising through the ranks of comedy, cocaine and alcohol became his coping tools. He suffered from depression most of his life, and self-medicated by these means and drugs of choice. He took his own life, not because of the depression, but because of a doctor's prognosis of a brain disorder that would have eventually and significantly lessened his quality of life.
Look into documentaries, such as from Cooperstown Properties, LLC, for more.