Atlanta comedian Joe Smith pokes fun at the absurdities of life with clever commentary

On the “City Lights” series “Speaking of Comedy,” Atlanta’s funniest locals share insights on the perks and perils of their profession. Featured on this edition is Atlanta comedian Joe Smith. He stands as proof that comedy doesn’t have to be a young folks’ game; Smith entered the industry in his 40s. “I used to tell myself that I was trying to prevent a mid-life crisis by doing it,” he said, “But really, stand-up just was the mid-life crisis that I happened to fall in love with.” 

Through comedy, Smith says, he can make sense of the absurdities of the world while satirizing them, address his anxieties and find validation and solidarity in his audience. “Perhaps most important, what I wanted out of it was to be among a community of like-minded people — not people who thought like me, but people with similar sensibilities trying to challenge, and make each other laugh thinking about the world differently,” he said. 

But first, Smith had to overcome the common squeamishness that attends speaking in front of strangers about oneself. Once this was mastered, he said, “the only other challenges that I perceive are of my own making. Do I have enough balance with my family? Do I have enough money? Do I have a day job? … How much nonsense am I willing to put up with to get what I want?”