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This Might Get Awkward
Could "Yes, and..." mend America's cultural and political divide? Psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman and comedian Allison Reese put improv's golden rule to the test. They laugh, listen and spar with those on the frontlines of our divide, from polarizing public figures to the social scientists who study it. And if they can't mend it, they'll at least have a good laugh trying.
This Might Get Awkward
Why We Cling to Our Beliefs - and How Humor Sets Us Free with Amanda Knox
Amanda Knox learned the hard way that facts don’t always change minds. After spending eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit, she’s now using stand-up comedy to reclaim her story in her own voice. Scott and Allison ask her why people cling to their beliefs, how humor can break through bias, and they play an improv game to help Amanda workshop new jokes.
03:50 – Amanda using standup to re-claim her story
6:10 – When a joke wasn’t funny then, but is now
8:39 – How to invite audiences to laugh at the hard stuff
9:25 – Can Amanda tell dark jokes?
12:43 – Freud break: humor as a defense mechanism
13:54 – Early reactions after the murder
16:12 – Amanda’s car crash story
19:51 – Why innocent people don’t all act one way
22:09 – Gestalt theory and public personas
23:19 – How do people change their minds?
28:00 – “Deep Canvassing” 101
33:21 – Asking “Why?” until a belief unravels
37:51 – Helping Amanda generate new jokes with an improv game
46:00 – Why “Yes, And…” works in life
49:08 – Steering energy instead of blocking it