I can’t be the only one who’s noticed how many people in the comedy world, coast to coast, are actively sick. Like, *really* sick. And not just in the head. The only way many of them can earn money is by doing shows…potentially making themselves even sicker just to afford to live.

That’s not unlike having a crappy job and being forced to work yourself into the ground.

To make matters worse, the people at the top of the comedy world, much like those in the broader job market, are often insulated from the rest. Whether it’s through successful gatekeeping, money and access to preventive healthcare, or just apathy toward the very people who helped them rise, these successful funnied people seem far removed from the struggle. And, much like other ‘haves vs. have-nots’ throughout history, it’s becoming a simmering crisis ready to boil over.

And belive it or not, this isn’t just based on just my observations: there are actual studies that confirm these real-world trends. (Greengross, G., Martin, R. A., & Miller, G. F. (2012). *Childhood experiences of professional comedians: Peer and parent relationships and humor use.* Humor, 25(4), 491–505.)

Now, I’m still figuring out how best to present all of this. But based on a very small sampling of comedians and producers in three different states, the most common responses to this crisis seem to be:
1. Booking people for shows who probably shouldn’t be working.
2. Donating to a GoFundMe.
3. Very occasionally, throwing a benefit show.

It’s a system that mirrors the world comedians and comedy producers are forced to live and die by: capitalism. And that’s especially ironic, given how many folks on the ground floor of comedy hold anti-capitalist views.

Now, I wouldn’t make a point of saying “the comedy world ain’t shit if it can’t help it’s own people” without presenting a solution.

…Would I?

-Andrew Brunello