Sad how a qualified comedian has to go through difficulties like this.
And sadder still how seemingly common this is among professional stand-ups.
The exception that comes to mind is Jerry Seinfeld.
I have heard him say that he lived a normal childhood with normal parents in every other normal way.
We should all be so lucky.
Of course, we all have our scars and our demons of one sort or the other…
Understand: This is what makes a joke funny.
When I graduated from high school, he offered to buy me a tuxedo. I refused because I had learned from him to reject all aid and assistance; he detested extravagance and pleaded with us not to give him gifts. I felt, through a convoluted logic, that in my refusal, I was being a good son. I wish now that I had let him buy me a tuxedo, that I had let him be a dad. Having cut myself off from him, and by association the rest of the family, I was incurring psychological debts that would come due years later in the guise of romantic misconnections and a wrong-headed quest for solitude. I have heard it said that a complicated childhood can lead to a life in the arts. I tell you this story of my father and me to let you know I am qualified to be a comedian.
-Steve Martin, Born Standing Up (Amazon)
