On the surface, there’s not a lot that’s funny about trauma, mental health issues, and drug addiction. But Athens-born comedian Byron Bowers mines those darker areas for some of his best material.
Bowers made a recent appearance on Comedy Central’s show “This Is Not Happening” with a story about how as a teenager, he discovered his father was addicted to crack.
“I stripped everything I thought was funny from it that would take away from the moment,” he explains. “Where I’m at as an artist now, you’re able to learn the right stuff to make people feel something. I was able to emote that. So I’m watching people about to cry in the audience as I’m telling this story. My comedy style was dark anyway, and now I’m just telling you why these types of things make me laugh.”
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