“Comedy—real comedy—wasn’t only tellin’ jokes. It was about telling the truth…” – Richard Pryor
Truth makes people uncomfortable. Unless we use the technique of ad ridiculum, of taking something to the extreme where it becomes hilarious. Pryor did this, but many of his stories had a foundation of truth that he built off of.
From the fool in King Lear to Aretino in Rome to Alice’s Restaurant, humor is the best way to tell the truths that nobody wants to talk about.