You don’t need us to tell you that the world is grim out there at the moment, full as it is of racism, xenophobia, violence, misogyny, and more. Frequently, we look to our various comedians to lighten the burden for a minute, but what are they supposed to do when the cheerfulness supply runs low, huh?
If they’re former Parks And Recreation star Amy Poehler, the answer to that question comes in the form of a rage-filled reality check, apparently. That’s per Poehler’s response to The Hollywood Reporter’s recent “The 40(ish) Most Powerful People In Comedy” feature, a roundup of the producers, talent, and other players making big moves in comedy this year. Inclusion on the list comes with the chance to fill out an optional survey, with folks like Judd Apatow, Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Chris Rock, and more giving lighthearted responses to prompts like “My most memorable heckler experience.”
Unlike her contemporaries, though, Poehler couldn’t bring herself to fuck around on this particular topic, instead offering up a stark reminder that the world is a draining miasma of suck. Indulging in a brutally honest (if slightly non-Leslie-Knope-like) burst of despair, she answered questions about guilty pleasures with “Let’s not forget over 4,600 people have died in Puerto Rico” and noted that college comedy crowds are… “Kids that are afraid they will be shot in their own schools. What has happened to us?”
The nadir, presumably, came when THR’s survey asked “The funniest thing about the Trump administration is…”, at which point whatever last shreds of goodwill Poehler was holding on to apparently gave out. Her last response is pretty straightforward, reminding us all that, while there’s truth in comedy, there’s also a lot of soul-crushing pain in truth, in the form of a simple “Are you kidding me?”
We wish, Amy.