Pirate's Cove

Me, I’d think it would be about showing the science as performed via the Scientific Method, and Warmists doing their darned best to practice what they preach, but, meh, whatever

How to normalize talking about climate change? Through humor, says columnist

Comedy can be a useful way to understand and maybe cope with Earth’s bleak future. That’s according to Kasha Patel, a Washington Post writer and editor who covers climate change and the environment. She writes their “Hidden Planet” column.

“It’s very complicated when you talk about these big issues. … Sometimes the facts aren’t going to be the thing that appeals to other people because they’re basing it more out of emotion,” Patel tells KCRW.

They have to have facts to start with

She shares her best climate joke: “Climate change is one of the hardest things to write about, which is why I admire all the comedians who did it  here. But a quick joke for the audience is: My comedy career is a lot like climate change. It’s pretty unbelievable, even though there’s evidence of it occurring all around us.”

The best climate joke is that they’ve convinced a large swath of people that the Earth is doomed from a tiny increase in global temperatures, something that has happened many times, and been much warmer, but, this time it’s all the fault of Humanity. And we can fix this by taxing people and restricting their lives, putting government in charge of everything.

Beyond that, it’s a 12 minute podcast, which is rather nutty. So, flipping to that Washington Post piece

Comedy may not seem like a good vehicle to showcase grim news of our planet, but just because something is entertaining doesn’t mean it can’t be useful, too. Humor can provide many benefits in tackling serious subjects. Limited research shows that climate change memes can boost a person’s civic engagement. Good-natured comedy can also help process negative emotions about global warming and sustain hope. (A note: When I’m not writing about science, I’m also a stand-up comedian).

But the human-exacerbated deterioration of Earth is not easy to make funny, especially as some climate goals are seemingly impossible now. Additionally, poorly executed climate jokes can dissuade people from engaging in the topic.

Let’s look at a joke, like this from Michelle Wolf

“Climate change is a real big deal, and everyone says Mother Nature. And I do believe nature is a woman because she’s trying to kill us in the most passive-aggressive way possible. It’s not some sort of immediate fire or flood or cool explosion. She’s just like, ‘What? I raised the temperature a little. Oh, are you uncomfortable? Maybe I wouldn’t have if you’d taken out the recycling like I asked. I’m fine.’”

That’s a kneeslapper, right? Right? None of the others are remotely funny. These people need to listen to Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Howie Mandel, even subtle stuff like Steve Martin and Robert Klein, to see real humor.