Pep shared his insights on how humor is used and abused by all. Comedy in communication can change public opinion, help win debates, and tilt elections. Things stick with people when they make them laugh.
Photo's: Maurice Mikkers & Jan Jaap Heine
Pep knows TEDxAmsterdam very well. As last year’s host, he hilariously introduced and master-mixed all the talks together. He’s also a local. Pep is the founder and artistic director of the comedy club Boom Chicago, right around the corner from the Stadsschouwburg.
Survival of the funniest
The power of comedy is to communicate with people who might not even want to hear your message. “Comedy is human nature,” says Pep. In evolution there are historically two options: fight or flight. Pep is sure there is a third. How come we have comedians today? Well, weak Neanderthals made jokes to survive. “People use creativity to get out of trouble.” And so does he, in his tailored comedy shows for businesses, he’s often caught off guard. But humor always saves the day.
Pep got the audience really bellowing with laughter with his diagrams of his newborn twins versus his dog, Levi. The dog listens, returns affection and has no problem going to bed. Charlie and Dante, on the other hand, don’t do any of it.
“9/11 Forever” was a comedy show about a dark day in 2001. Pep was there to see it. “There was nowhere to escape. No way fight it. And no one is looking for a comedian.” Now, ten years on, he and his team at Boom Chicago thought it was time to make some fun out of all that misery.
Humor is disarming and laughter is contagious. Pep demonstrated this in his message very well, because his TED talk made us laugh, thus ensuring its message sticks with us.
Further reading
Pep’s TEDxAmsterdam profile.
Pep’s twitter.
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