Quillette Podcast Finding Humor in Dark Places
Nov 10, 2025
Join Matthew Pettit, a stand-up comedian and founder of Healing Roar, as he shares his inspiring journey from trauma and addiction to advocacy. He candidly discusses using comedy to process childhood abuse and the healing it brings. Pettit highlights challenges in recovery, the failings of the justice system, and the importance of restorative justice over punishment. He shares insights on trauma's role in addiction, the need for genuine care in treatment, and how confronting his abuser was part of his healing process.
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Comedy From Personal Trauma
- Matthew Pettit told a raw stand-up bit about being molested as a child and the sexual confusion and addiction that followed.
- He frames trauma in dark humor to process pain and connect with audiences who feel shame.
First Gig Born In Jail Humor
- Pettit began doing comedy after making friends laugh at an open mic while incarcerated and found it unexpectedly healing.
- Audiences often tell him they didn't know they could laugh at such trauma, which reinforces his recovery work.
Care Beats Short Mandatory Rehab
- Matthew contrasts short, punitive treatment stints with a six-month program that genuinely cared and worked.
- He credits sustained, compassionate care with shifting identity from 'addict' to someone who can live a life.