Modified On May 6, 2008
We posted in November about mental health counselor David Granirer, who teaches standup to the mentally ill (“The pot calling the kettle crazy”). We’re okay with someone gathering mentally ill people up and coaching them in the ways of standup comedy, but we grow weary of folks like Granirer (and his enablers in the media) who peddle this “all comics are crazy” meme.
Yet another media outlet has fallen for it. This time, it’s Doug Williamson, writing for the Windsor (Ontario) Star who has spun a virtually identical tale to November’s Vancouver piece, complete with the insulting roundhouse at the end:
Granirer said coaching people with mental illness can be challenging.
“The subject matter is very serious,” he said, adding that some people are on medication or have cognitive impairments which can make preparation more difficult.
But then again, many professional comedians probably suffer from some form of mental illness without realizing it, he said.
“There’s the diagnosed and the undiagnosed,” he laughed.
“I think you’ve got to be a little bit nuts to do standup comedy.”
The only difference between this article and the November article is that this time Granirer has added the “probably” qualifier. But, of course, he also throws in the diagnosed/undiagnosed switcheroo– a great comfort to those who want to believe that all comics are indeed on the crazy bubble. Thanks, Dave.
(We’re a bit confused: When Granirer speaks of his students, he does so in hyper-serious mode, so as to “confront and fight public prejudice” and bravely dispel the myths. Yet, when he plants the ridiculous notion about undiagnosed comedians, he does so– at least according to Williamson– with a laugh.)