Conan O’Brien on Mark Twain and the purpose of comedy
Conan: "Twain is funny and important today because his comedy is a hilarious celebration of our fears, our ineptitude, and the glorious mess of being human."
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Conan is a history buff so it makes sense that he did a deep dive on Twain and the purpose of comedy: Conan O’Brien Accepts the Mark Twain Prize With ‘Unceasing Silliness’ [Vulture]
Twain was suspicious of populism, jingoism, imperialism, the money-obsessed mania of the Gilded Age, and any expression of mindless American might or self-importance. Above all, Twain was a patriot in the best sense of the word. He loved America but knew it was deeply flawed. Twain wrote, “Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.”
Some of you might be thinking, What does this have to do with comedy? It has everything to do with comedy. Everything! The comedy I have loved all of my life is comedy that is self-critical, deflating, and dedicated to the proposition that we are all flawed, absurd, and wallowing in the mud together. Twain is funny and important today because his comedy is a hilarious celebration of our fears, our ineptitude, and the glorious mess of being human. When we celebrate Twain, truly see him for who he was, we acknowledge our commonality, and we move just a little closer together.
The comedy I have loved all of my life is comedy that is self-critical, deflating, and dedicated to the proposition that we are all flawed, absurd, and wallowing in the mud together.
Jason Zinoman’s take at the NY Times: Lionizing Mark Twain, Conan O’Brien Subtly Skewers Trump.
This tribute to Twain had a similarly earnest tone. There’s always been an ethical underpinning to O’Brien’s buffoonery, a careful commitment to making himself the joke in a way that emphasizes our common humanity…O’Brien wanted to speak up for comedy without overstating its power to effect social change. He praised humor that punches up, not down, sides with the weak and the powerless.
And here’s a recent deep dive on Conan from Zinoman: Conan O’Brien Doesn’t Matter*
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Using imitation to reveal your voice
At first, it’s easy to do an imitation of a well-known comic. That’s a natural way to learn the craft and figure out what makes for great comedy.
