I’ve been doing a special show at Zanies in Chicago since January, and it’s really taught me something interesting.

All this year, on the fourth Monday of every month I invite half a dozen comics to join me at Zanies in Chicago to tell some political jokes. I call it CampPain 2016. The comics are all over the political spectrum, and it’s absolutely been a gas. We’ve had Trumpettes and Cruzers, Bernouts and Clintonistas, some Independents, and even an Anarchist or two.

But the most amazing thing to me, has been the lack of aggression. If you spend any time whatsoever on facebook you’d get the idea that the nation is on the verge of Civil War. But at these CampPain shows, you hear nothing other than good solid laughter.

I think there’s a reason for that. Social media is polarized. Not only do people express strong opinions online, they overreact to the opinions of others. On top of that, the Internet gives them a sense of anonymity, and emboldens them in a way that they wouldn’t have if they were encountering people face to face.

It’s the same thing that happens when drivers are faced with a merge sign. Certain people refuse to merge. Instead, they race all the way to the end of the road, and squeeze their car into the front of the line at the last minute. People wouldn’t do that outside the safety of a vehicle. Nobody at the supermarket will walk past a long line, and jam their cart into the front.

In the same way comics, who seem like viscious enemies on facebook, meet in real life, they’re cordial. Not only that, people in audience they do something they’ll never do on facebook: they laugh at themselves. They see the contradictions and ironies in their own political beliefs and they laugh. That’s good for the soul.

I think I’m providing a valuable service to Chicago, and the American Electorate as a whole by putting on these shows. Everyone is guaranteed to be amused and offended at least once. And if you plan to be anywhere near Chicago on the fourth Monday of any month, stop in!

Next Show is Monday June 27

Tickets Available