Comedians—from Shakespeare's fools to Dave Chappelle—have assumed the mantle of public intellectuals, argues editor-at-large Solomon Moore. They both disrupt and uphold the status quo, but in the end, they're also just joking. Illustration by Be Boggs. This piece publishes alongside the Zócalo/ASU Gammage event 'What Can We Laugh About?' tonight, Thursday, September 15, at 7PM PDT. Register to attend in-person or online here. One of Shakespeare's conceits is the wisdom of clowns. From Feste in Twelfth Night to the Fool in King Lear, they speak truth to power, but tell it slant and do so at their peril.

https://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2022/09/15/comedians-america-public-intellectuals/ideas/essay/

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