In times of political turmoil and constant stress, few things can heal us like the power of comedy. Whether it comes from a humble fart joke or biting social commentary on the current state of our union, a good chuckle can do us a lot of good. Laughter is the best medicine and all that jazz.
Although the amount of old, white men trying to ruin everything in Washington DC and beyond seems never-ending, it’s important to remember that we outnumber them. For that friendly reminder, we can turn to comedy, where diversification is actually happening, and new comedians of all races, sexual orientations, and gender identities are speaking out, about their own unique experiences and those universal ones that we can all relate to.
Something else that has changed about comedy in the last few years is where we find it. Comedy used to be restricted to the elite few who had secured their own television programs or movie deals, and the up-and-comers at open mic nights that had you frantically ordering too much beer just to get through the awkwardness of it all. But now, thanks to the internet, comedy is much more accessible. Not only is our ability to seek out comedy much easier, but so is a comedian’s ability to get discovered or find their big break. Just look at Issa Rae: She went from her Awkward Black Girl web series to her own smash hit HBO series, Insecure. Other comedians are finding their niches on Twitter and YouTube, and leaving us feeling like anything is possible.
In a world where we’re constantly on edge, waiting for the president’s next tweet or offensive comment about a marginalized community, the least we can do is treat ourselves to a laugh every now and then. Here are the best up and coming comedians right now, who will help you laugh through the pain of it all.
Jaboukie Young-White
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If you have Twitter, you know who Jaboukie is. If you don’t have Twitter, it’s worth making one if only to follow the hilarious young comic taking the internet by storm. His takes on capitalism, the Grammys, black culture, and LGBT issues are both side-splitting and poignant. Plus, he’s a millennial, so it truly feels like he gets us, because, well, he is us. Check out his recent appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon above, and keep an eye out for his name in the season two writing credits of Netflix’s American Vandal.
Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams
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Contrary to popular belief, there are more podcasts out there than Serial and Pod Save America. So if you’re looking for something to replace your “Good Morning” Spotify playlist—you can only listen to “Pocketful of Sunshine” so many times—but also don’t wanna bum yourself out with murder or politics, check out Phoebe Robinson and Jessica Williams’ 2 Dope Queens. The podcast showcases female comedians, comedians of color, and LGBTQ comedians (fuck yeah), but Robinson and Williams are comedians in their own right, and their banter will have you laughing hard enough to elicit stares on your commute. The dynamic duo recently took their talents to TV with an HBO special, and trust us, you’re gonna wanna hack into your ex’s account to watch it.
Aparna Nancherla
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In this era of endless avenues for comedy, Aparna Nancherla has all of her bases covered. She’s voiced BoJack Horseman’s alleged daughter, played a ramen blogger on Master of None, tackled depression in the mini-podcast Blue Woman Group, and currently plays Grace on the Comedy Central series Corporate. Much of her comedy touches on mental health issues, and, as her Corporate character says, “the pain of being alive.” We’re living in dark times, and if someone can be both brutally honest and hysterical when discussing their own inner turmoil, we’re here for it. Not to mention her Twitter is full of musings such as, “‘Ur not funny’ is the ‘airplane food sucks’ of troll attacks. Resist mediocrity, haters.” Right on.
Tiffany Haddish
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If Cardi B owned music in 2017, then Tiffany Haddish owned comedy. Girls Trip was the black female comedy heard ‘round the world, and critics were quick to crown Haddish the star of the show (no disrespect to Regina, Queen Latifah, or Jada.) While she unfortunately was not nominated for an Oscar, Haddish has continued to shine, from her unparalleled storytelling on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to her Netflix special, She Ready! Haddish is set to star in Jordan Peele’s upcoming TBS sitcom, The Last O.G. alongside Tracy Morgan and Cedric The Entertainer, so we certainly haven’t seen the last of her.
TBS’ Search Party is one part comedy and about three parts stress and anxiety, but its ability to make you laugh even in the most gut-wrenching moments makes it a true masterpiece. That, and John Early, who plays Elliott on the show. You may have also seen him in Broad City, Love, and The Disaster Artist, but where he truly shines is Instagram. The term “Instagram comedian” might make you shudder with thoughts of ghosts from Viners past, but Early is in a league of his own. His feed is full of “shout outs” to GOP politicians, dripping with so much sarcasm that you might actually forget how evil some of these people are (looking at you, Paul Ryan.)
Patti Harrison
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For all of the strides that the comedy world has made when it comes to diversification, there still seems to be a serious lack of prominent transgender comics. Patti Harrison, a correspondent for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and a trans woman of color, is well on her way to changing that. Harrison went viral over the summer when she tackled President Trump’s transgender military ban on Fallon, which earned her a headline in The New York Times. But she’s just as happy creating absurdist humor and making fart jokes, which both allows her to avoid getting pigeon-holed as a “trans comedian” and offers us some sweet relief from the non-stop political commentary of today.
Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson
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Detroiters is not your average buddy comedy, and Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson are not your average buddies. The two play a couple of local advertising men who aspire to make it big in the industry. Previously, Richardson was best known for his role as the tremendously awkward yet undeniably pure Richard Splett on Veep, while Robinson was previously a featured player on Saturday Night Live. Against the backdrop of Detroit, and along with guest stars like Keegan Michael Key, Cecily Strong, and Jason Sudeikis (who also executive produces the show), the comedians play off of each other and offer something “profoundly stupid yet surprisingly soulful.” Keep an eye out for season two later this year.
Jerrod Carmichael
![The only comedian on this list to have his own namesake show, Jerrod Carmichael is a triple threat: actor, writer, and, of course, comedian. The Carmichael Show ran for three seasons on TBS and was applauded by critics for its ability to handle “provocative content” while “[keeping] the jokes flying the whole time.” Carmichael’s Netflix special, 8, also dropped last year, and he even made an appearance in Jay Z’s “Moonlight” video. The HOV stamp of approval is all you need to know he’s legit.](https://img.youtube.com/vi/j5qEovgLEys/mqdefault.jpg)
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The only comedian on this list to have his own namesake show, Jerrod Carmichael is a triple threat: actor, writer, and, of course, comedian. The Carmichael Show ran for three seasons on TBS and was applauded by critics for its ability to handle “provocative content” while “[keeping] the jokes flying the whole time.” Carmichael’s Netflix special, 8, also dropped last year, and he even made an appearance in Jay Z’s “Moonlight” video. The HOV stamp of approval is all you need to know he’s legit.
Hasan Minhaj
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It feels like 2017 was the year Netflix decided to bless us with a plethora of standup specials, and Hasan Minhaj’s Homecoming King was certainly no exception. The special was actually based on Minhaj’s one-man show, which debuted off-Broadway in 2015. In 2017 alone, he appeared in Rough Night (along with another comic on this list, Jaboukie), served as a senior correspondent on The Daily Show, and oh yeah, was the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents Dinner (famously boycotted by the president himself.) So if you are looking for a comic to call out the bullshit going down in Washington DC, Minhaj is your guy.
