What can we learn about the internal struggles of performers after the passing of Matthew Perry? <\/p>
When the news broke of the tragic passing of beloved comedy actor Matthew Perry, the inevitable tributes didn\u2019t focus solely on his comedic talents \u2013 his struggles with addiction and mental health also featured prominently, something the man himself would undoubtedly approve of.<\/p>
Perry wasn\u2019t unique in this. Many comedy icons, Robin Williams and Spike Milligan to name two, are well known for their mental health struggles.<\/p>
Such talents seem to support the established \u2018tears of a clown\u2019 clich\u00e9, a concept best illustrated by the old punchline delivered when a depressed patient goes to see a doctor. The concerned physician advises them to see the famous clown Pagliacci to lighten their spirits, only for the patient to reply, \u201cBut Doctor, I am Pagliacci”.<\/p>
But why would people so adept at making others laugh be prone to struggle with their own happiness? The workings of the human brain offer some surprisingly logical explanations.<\/p>
Humans are extremely social creatures. Our brains experience pleasure when others approve of us<\/a>, and pain if we\u2019re rejected<\/a> socially. And low social status is reliably linked to mental health issues, like depression and anxiety<\/a>.<\/p> As establishing cause and effect can be tricky, it\u2019s hard to argue that those with poorer mental health often struggle to gain the approval of others. But one factor fundamentally intertwined with human interaction and acceptance is humour. Making others laugh is a reliable, efficient way to get people to like you.<\/p> Logically, this could mean that, to gain acceptance, those with mental health issues are more predisposed to resort to \u2013 and become adept at \u2013 humour.<\/p> A great deal of comedy is derived from observing, and commenting on, the more illogical aspects of human culture and behaviour. Most people are less likely to notice these things, though, because if everyone around you agrees something is normal, our brains tend to just accept it.<\/p> It\u2019s those who have an \u2018outside\u2019 perspective who\u2019ll have a greater ability to look at something countless people do, and say, \u201cThat\u2019s actually funny, and here\u2019s why\u201d.<\/p> Read more:<\/strong><\/p> This means it\u2019s the misfits and oddballs \u2013 those who have different ways of thinking and behaving, and who aren\u2019t readily accepted by the average person \u2013 who\u2019ll logically be more likely to achieve this perspective. If you\u2019ve spent any time at all in the world of comedy, you\u2019ll know such people are very <\/em>well represented. When you\u2019ve got a group of people with outsider tendencies, it\u2019d be more shocking if mental health issues weren\u2019t <\/em>common among them.<\/p> It\u2019s not just the \u2018tears of clown\u2019 clich\u00e9. There\u2019s also the \u2018tortured artist\u2019, a very talented creative type plagued with inner torment and \u2018demons’. Vincent van Gogh would be the go-to example, but many prominent artists could have this label fairly applied, from Edvard Munch to Jackson Pollack to Kurt Cobain.<\/p> While there are many factors that contribute to someone becoming a ‘tortured artist’, research suggests that mood disorders and creativity are fundamentally linked<\/a>. <\/p> Why? Perhaps the internal disruption that upsets mood and emotion in the brain extends mechanisms that regulate creative output? Maybe the intense and atypical emotions wrought by a mental health issue compel the individual to find some way to express them by any means necessary? After all, communicating emotions is something our brains are wired to do. <\/p> Not every individual who struggles with mental health is a socially awkward introvert. Many can, and do, enthusiastically engage with others. And if you combine that trait with creativity and an \u2018alternative\u2019 perspective, you\u2019ve got the fundamentals of a great comedian.<\/p> Perhaps most important of all, if you struggle with mental health issues, comedy and humour can help make you feel better. While it may strike the average person as a nightmare scenario, if you\u2019re already<\/em> feeling shunned and rejected by others, performing comedy in front of an audience can mean you feel appreciated, accepted, and even in control<\/em>.<\/p> These are all things our brains respond positively to, which are hard to come by when enduring mental health problems. You can see how this could prove intoxicating, for those who find the acceptance of others hard to come by.<\/p> Unfortunately, unlike \u2018normal\u2019 interpersonal relationships, the positive connection between comic and their audience is both transactional and transient \u2013 they\u2019d need to keep performing, to maintain it.<\/p> And this \u2018self-medication\u2019 can manifest in darker ways. After all, the comedy world is often one of late nights in bars and clubs, among others who dwell in similar headspaces. The exposure to drink and drugs is pretty much unavoidable, which explains why so many prominent comedians have grappled with such things.<\/p> This doesn\u2019t mean that all <\/em>comedy performers are social outcasts constantly battling mental health issues. You can be a successful comic without any of these things. But the comedy world is more accepting of such people than most. Indeed, you could say it rewards them.<\/p> As a result, you logically would expect to see more clowns who are crying on the inside.<\/p> If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues you can get help by visiting the NHS website<\/a> or calling 111. Don’t struggle alone.<\/p> Read more:<\/strong><\/p> What can we learn about the internal struggles of performers after the passing of Matthew Perry? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":36243,"template":"","categories":[1,29],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2023\/11\/sad-clown-paradox-why-do-so-many-talented-comedians-suffer-from-mental-health-issues.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What can we learn about the internal struggles of performers after the passing of Matthew Perry?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/36242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Poorer mental health, better creativity<\/strong>?<\/h2>
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