The dark side of comedy is maybe the worst kept secret in showbiz. In fact, the bug has become something of a feature in recent years, with some comedians insisting that being transgressive is part of the job. There’s a notable Batman villain who has sort of built his whole personality around it. But just how deep does the darkness go?
That’s the subject of an upcoming docuseries called The Dark Side of Comedy, which will take an unfiltered look at the lives of comedians like Andrew Dice Clay, Chris Farley, Freddie Prinze, Artie Lange, Roseanne Barr, Dustin Diamond, Greg Giraldo, Brett Butler, Richard Pryor and Maria Bamford. The trailer features musings from Pete Holmes, Patton Oswalt, Marc Maron, the late great Gilbert Gottfried and other comics — many of whom have opened up about their own struggles on their podcasts. Here’s the official show description:
Comedy has entered a new golden age. Podcasts, social media, and streaming services have all created new life and new laughs for comics living and dead — comics who were once relegated to smoky nightclubs and finite network TV time slots. Similarly, a new generation of comics and comedy fans are reassessing the legacy of legends, some who are even more culturally relevant today than in their prime.
