How Did You Decide to Work With Seniors?

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Soi, i've been teaching like, comedy on and off for the last, might be 15 years. I think i was getting really, really disillusioned with comedy - it brought out the worst in people. And maybe by teaching a group of people that just want to like, laugh and have fun, and they're not like, competing with each other? Maybe that'll be a way to enjoy comedy and like ou skills in a way that won't make me feel weird. It's just been very enlightening and refreshing.

When was the last time you really, really laughed? For some people, laughter comes easily and anything can set them off. But for many of us, finding humor in everyday life is something we might leave to the professionals. Jo Firestone is a comedian--and long-time friend of Chris’s--who frequently teaches all kinds of people the art of stand-up comedy. In today’s episode, she talks about how humor can be an act of connection, and how comedy can help us see the lighter sides of life, even in difficult times. Case in point: over the last year, Jo taught socially-distant stand-up to senior citizens over Zoom. Now, her students will be the stars of their very own comedy special, “Good Timing” which airs later this month. Barbara Bova, one of Jo’s hilarious students, also joins to share the comedy tips she learned and to tell some great jokes. Find more about Jo on her website at jofirestone.com and check out “Good Timing” on October 15. To learn more about "How to Be a Better Human," host Chris Duffy, or find footnotes and additional resources, please visit: go.ted.com/betterhuman