1: Introduction (let me tell you a story) Artwork

Knock Knock, Me Again

As a child, Tanna made people laugh, but adulthood has rendered her anxious and afraid to be funny. Knock Knock, Me Again follows Tanna, a woman in her 30s, on an anxiety-inducing, but heart-warming experiment: to discover whether she can learn to be a stand-up comedian. She travels to people's living rooms, sits them down upon their sofa, and performs comedy at them: an excruciating encounter for both parties. She and her guest then discuss the experience over a cup of tea: what went well, what went badly, and most crucially, why. They discuss topics such as context, environment, zeitgeist, subjectivity, comic timing, and lots more. Tanna's journey is a rich piece of social, psychological and philosophical research, addressing questions about mental health and human interaction.

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Knock Knock, Me Again

1: Introduction (let me tell you a story)

December 18, 2022 • Tanna Chamberlain • Season 1 • Episode 1

(If you’re new to this podcast series, I’d recommend starting with ‘Radio edit #1 - condensed version of eps 1-3’, a condensed version of the first 3 episodes from series 1, adapted for radio. It is more digestible than the original (longer) versions of the first 3 eps, explicit content is removed, and some nice tracks by my first two guests are included. More summative episodes to follow!)

Welcome to Knock Knock, Me Again!
I tell stories about my past: a background to my journey. I unpick the statement "adulthood has rendered me anxious and afraid to be funny".
"I would come to learn that it is often difficult to translate a funny thought from inside my head so that others can experience it in the same way as me. I would find that this problem would return again and again through my life leading me to miss the mark with humour, and occasionally upset people."
I talk about authentic laughter and causes of inauthentic laughter: peer pressure/gender rules that teach us only to deliver a certain type of humour that fits with our gender/seeking social media engagement by following learned algorithms/alcohol culture teaching us that outrageous = funny at any cost.

Written, recorded and edited by Tanna Chamberlain
Artwork by Tanna Chamberlain
Music licensed by audiojungle

Follow Knock Knock Me Again Youtube Channel for videos of rehearsals
and follow me on instagram (tannacjc) to see behind-the-scenes archives in my highlights
Website coming soon.

Recorded and edited by Tanna Chamberlain
Artwork by Tanna Chamberlain
Music licensed by audiojungle

Follow Knock Knock Me Again Youtube Channel for videos of rehearsals
and follow me on instagram (tannacjc) to see behind-the-scenes archives in my highlights
Website coming soon.

People on this episode

Tanna Chamberlain

Host