Being Funny Isn't the Same As Being Happy

There are people whose deaths you can see coming. The elderly, of course. Celebrities who party too hard, dabble in the more-than-occasional use of drugs, or are infatuated with fast cars. Adrenaline junkies who are drawn to extreme sports. That idiot down the street who always runs that stop sign. You look at these people and think, well, it was just a matter of time. You are sad for them, for their families, for the future that will never be, and then you move on.

Robin Williams was not one of those people, at least not for me. I was aware of his cocaine-fueled ‘80s and his struggle with alcoholism. His battles with depression, however, weren’t as publicized. So news of his death was heartbreaking and hit especially close to home, since I have grappled with depression myself since I was about 12. (“You? You seem well-balanced.” “That’s because I’m heavily medicated.”) I think many fans had no idea he fought so fiercely with deep and all-consuming depression – how could someone so funny and lively be haunted by such darkness inside?

Edvard Munch had issues.

We expect that some artists – painters, musicians, poets – are often depressed. Creativity has a way of calming the soul and acting as a catharsis for unhappiness. It transforms abstract feelings into something real and tangible, something you can point to and say, “See? This is how I am on the inside. This is what I see every day.” How many times have you looked at a painting or really listened to song lyrics and thought, “That guy there. He has issues.”

You’re right; there is research proving the correlation. Dr. Michael Clarke of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in a recent ABC interview said research shows that, in general, creativity and mental illness often go hand in hand.

“People with a more creative side do seem to have a greater rate of mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder,” he said. “We don’t know exactly why this is but it could have a biological basis in the emotional centers of the brain.”

But for those whose creativity is expressed through comedy, it’s harder to imagine that the person who makes everyone laugh is miserable on the inside. In addition to Robin Williams, it was likely true for John Belushi, Chris Farley, and many other celebrity comedians who have committed suicide. Plus millions more regular Joes and Janes throughout the world who make light of their struggles by making others laugh. As a person who fancies herself funny, this made me wonder – how and why is depression linked to comedy?

First, comedy is a great way to mask sadness. In much the same way that a child who faced illness might want to become a doctor, the man who is suffering might try to lighten his own soul by making others laugh. The child wants to heal others the way he was healed, but the comedian is provoking the reaction in others he wants to feel in himself. He is asking by giving. 

I agree with Deborah Serani, author of the book "Living With Depression," who was recently quoted in an ABC interview. For many comedians, humor is a "counter phobic" response to the darkness and sadness they feel. Their intelligence, she said, helps them put a funny spin on their despair.

That brings us to the second point. Comedians are often very intelligent – socially, emotionally, and even academically. They can see connections and irony that many others miss; they think quickly and adapt easily. Weird Al was class valedictorian – graduating at age 16 – and went on to California Polytechnic State University. Ken Jeong of the Hangover trilogy and “Community” is a doctor of internal medicine. Mike Judge – the same guy responsible for “Beavis and Butthead,” (meh) “King of the Hill” (better) and “Office Space” (hilarious) – has a freaking BS in physics from the University of California at San Diego. His first job was as a programmer for the F-18 fighter. WTF? He can program a fighter jet but no one can help poor Milton retrieve his beloved stapler? I would have burned the building down, too, Milton.

Unfortunately, intelligent people are often prone to depression. The old adage has truth – ignorance is bliss. I personally believe this is because the very intelligent are often sensitive, or at the very least more aware, and the sensitive are often prone to depression. The more you are aware of your own mortality, or that the world can be a very unfair place, or that children and dogs are starving somewhere, or that both the love of your life and your mother will eventually die…well, there are lots of reasons to be sad. It’s easy for some to slip over the edge from justified reaction into irrational grief and sadness that seems to have no beginning and no end. Many, perhaps most, people will be able to recover and find an even keel again. Some will flail and splash and struggle their whole lives. Some, sadly, will drown. And those that do may even make really funny jokes about water and swimming and drowning, because being funny isn’t the same as being happy or healthy.

Me, I just keep trying to swim, and say a little prayer that Robin Williams has found peace on the shore.