Blake Lively: I think that life is really hard for everyone. And i think that e it definitely helps to be able to make jokes. But one thing that i've always admired about your particular stand up comedy is that you do a ton of crowd work, where you don't know what's going to happen. So how do you trust that you're going to make something good or funny happen with an audience? Idoi its it's turned bad. Ha ha, ha, ha ha. It's got really realy bad. Yous sa, then the question iso, do you do this kind of comedy?"
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