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Jeannette Rizzi’s “Blindsided” uses comedy as the cure

Comedy isn’t the first thing you think of when it comes to suicide. And vice versa. It’s also a topic that’s just not easily discussed. Well, comedian Jeannette Rizzi is out to change all of that with her incredible journey she’s compiled into her one-woman show Blindsided. She’s bringing her talents and the show to the Hollywood Improv on Thursday, October 20th at 7:30pm in association with our…

“Comedy Saved Me At My Lowest Point”: Project UROK founder Jenny Jaffe Helps Teens Deal With Depression, Suicidal Thoughts

(As seen on Laughspin.com.)

Jenny Jaffe as Princess Leia.

Comedian Jenny Jaffe’s childhood was anything but comical. During her high school years, she was diagnosed with a multitude of mental illnesses, which included her having extreme anxiety, OCD and suicidal thoughts. “It wasn’t something I talked to really anybody in my life about,” Jaffe, 24, tells Laughspin. “There was this long uphill…

I see so many people on Twitter – liberal, progressive people – eager to shut down comedians immediately for saying the ‘wrong’ thing, while movies and music could say something very similar and get an artistic license pass. Comedy almost seems like an art form that breeds feedback and invites commentary.

Yeah, because I think so many comedians make it look easy. I look at a musician, and I know I can’t shred the guitar, or sing as well as someone with a beautiful voice. But with comedy, everyone can be funny in their own right: at work, at home. People don’t often realize how much work it took to put a seemingly effortless stand-up set together. It’s not easy, so your feedback isn’t necessary, and your chiming in isn’t necessary. Whether it’s a heckler or an online person. No one asked you! And I think that’s why they’re upset, because nobody asked them.