On “Laughing Thursday,” December 8th, 2022, Comedy Gives Back is launching their giving season initiative “Laughing for Good,” inviting comedy clubs, comedy networks, and fans to raise awareness and money in support of the work Comedy Gives Back does to help stand-up comedians in need. In the spirit of Giving Tuesday, Comedy Gives Back is claiming Laughing Thursday as a special day to appreciate and give back to the comedy community that has kept all of us laughing through thick and thin. This year, Comedy Central is joining forces with Comedy Gives Back as an official partner, pledging to donate $10,000 to the organization, and calling upon other industry players to match or exceed their donation amount.
“Comedy has always served as a platform for exploring the conversations – however uncomfortable – about who we are as a society and how we can take action to help ourselves and others, particularly when it comes to mental health,” said Ryan Moran, Vice President, Talent and Development, Comedy Central. “We are proud to partner with Comedy Gives Back and hope others will consider joining us to both honor the many brilliant comedic minds we have lost and to encourage our comedy talent that mental health is health.”
Comedy clubs who have already confirmed participation in “Laughing for Good” include the Dania Beach, DC, Los Angeles, Miami, Palm Beach and Tempe Improvs, The Laughing Skull Lounge, The Stand in NYC and Stand Up Live, with more to be announced. Comedy fans are encouraged to post about the shows they’re attending on Laughing Thursday using the hashtags #Laughing4Good and #LaughingThursday.
In addition, a growing slate of comedy podcasts, livestreams and podcast networks will once again be participating in Laughing For Good, including: Doug Benson’s podcasts (Doug Loves Movies, Wide World of Dougs), All Things Comedy, Big Money Players, FriendZone with Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer, Go Ask Tig, Kill Me Now with Judy Gold, Reply Guys with Kate Willett, Mental Illness Happy Hour, The Sarah Silverman Podcast, SiriusXM, Starburns Audio, and more.
Comedy Gives Back has been, and continues to be, a crucial safety net for comedians in need. During the pandemic, Comedy Gives Back gave more than 1,000 cash grants to working comedians who lost access to their income as live performance venues were forced to close. In the past year, Comedy Gives Back has paid for comedians to go through substance abuse treatment, awarded more cash grants, and provided free therapy sessions through a partnership with BetterHelp.
Holiday season can be an incredibly lonely time. Comedy Gives Back anticipates that the needs of working comedians will only increase, as the pandemic continues to affect the live comedy industry with cancellations and postponements. Whether it be back rent, medical bills, or the need for mental health services, it is essential that Comedy Gives Back be there for the comedy community. As always, they do it with compassion and a smile – check out the music video they produced in 2019, a hilarious send-up of “We Are the World,” titled “Christmas Magic” – featuring dozens of comedians such as Howie Mandel, Adam Conover, Sasheer Zamata and the dearly departed Louie Anderson.
Mental health is a year round issue, and to kick off giving season during this particularly difficult time, Comedy Gives Back have partnered with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is an online therapy platform with licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists (PhD / PsyD), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), clinical social workers (LCSW / LMSW), and board licensed professional counselors (LPC), offering a free month of coverage for comedians in need.
Comedy Central and MTV Entertainment Studios have leveraged a decades-long history of sparking conversations about mental health through Mental Health is Health, a multi-year initiative to tackle the nation’s growing health crisis by harnessing the power of storytelling to normalize mental health conversations and inspire action.
Comedy Gives Back believes that being alone onstage is part of the job of the comedian. Feeling alone off-stage is unacceptable.
