>> WE OFTEN SEE COMEDY LIKE THIS.
>> WHERE CAN I GET A BEER AROUND HERE?
>> BUT SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE THIS.
>> IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY OUTRAGED AND DESPAIRING AND RAW WITH EMOTION, MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STORY BECAUSE I’M NOT FOR YOU.
>> THE WEEK AFTER GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH, DORCHESTER COMEDIAN BETHANY BENDEL OPENED HER WEEKLY ONLINE COMEDY SERIES, ARTISANAL COMEDY, NOT BY TELLING JOKES, BUT LIKE COMICS FROM SETH MEYERS
TO TREVOR NOAH, BY USING HER PLATFORM TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR CHANGE.
>> BE SHOCKED.
>> IT WAS A PLEASANT REMINDER THAT COMEDY CAN UNITE US AROUND SO MUCH MORE THAN LAUGHTER.
SHE HAS ALWAYS CROSSED LINES IN CULTURE.
>> BLACK AND PUERTO RICAN?
I WAS LIKE, YOU CAN BE BLACK AND ANYTHING.
LIKE BLADE.
[LAUGHTER] >> THE WEEK BEFORE GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH MOVED HER TO ACTION, WE MET WITH A COVID WARY BETHANY SHELTERING AT HOME WITH HER FAMILY.
SHAYNA: HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS FUNNY BUSINESS?
>> MY THERAPIST SAID, IF YOU COULD DO ANYTHING WITH YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I SAID, I WOULD BE ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.
SHE SAID, JUST GO ON STAGE AND TELL A JOKE.
SHAYNA: WAS IT HARD BREAKING IN HERE IN BOSTON?
>> WHEN I WAS STARTING OUT, LINEUPS WERE 10 STRAIGHT WHITE MALES AND ONE NOT STRAIGHT WHITE MALE.
>> MY HAIR USED TO PROTECT ME.
SHAYNA: MANY TIMES SHE WAS THE ONE, IN PART BECAUSE OF HER ABILITY TO FIND INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE.
>> THERE’S SO MUCH OUT HERE TO TALK ABOUT AND THINK ABOUT.
LIKE WHAT DO TREES THINK OF US?
DO THEY THINK WE ARE IDIOTS?
SHAYNA: SHE WAS MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF IN COMEDY UNTIL SHE GOT A NEW JOB THAT CAME WITH A TITLE SHE COULDN’T REFUSE.
>> I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MOTHERS WHO ARE COMEDIANS, BUT OUR DAUGHTER HAS SPECIAL NEEDS.
SHE WAS BORN WITH DOWN SYNDROME.
BUT IF I EVER DID DO COMEDY AGAIN, I WOULD CALL IT SOMETHING RIDICULOUS LIKE ARTISANAL COMEDY SO THAT EVERYONE WOULD KNOW IT IS A RIDICULOUS SHOW.
SHAYNA: THOSE DREAMS TURNED INTO REALITY WHEN A LOCAL VENUE SAID YES.
IN CONTRAST TO HER EARLY EXPERIENCE, FROM DAY ONE, HER ARTISANAL COMEDY LINEUP WAS DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE.
A FACT THAT IS STILL EVIDENT IN THE WEEKLY ONLINE VERSION SHE STARTED DURING THE PANDEMIC.
>> I’M SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NON-BINARY AND TRANSFEMME DEPENDING ON HOW COLD IT IS OUTSIDE.
SHAYNA: SHE SHARED HER STORY OF FIRST-TIME MOTHERHOOD LIVE ON STAGE FOR A PODCAST EPISODE THAT HAS NOW BEEN VIEWED MORE THAN 15 MILLION TIMES.
>> ALL MOMS DOUBT THEIR ABILITY TO RAISE THIS CHILD.
SHAYNA: THE EXPERIENCE ALSO HELPED THIS FUNNY WOMAN SEE THAT THE LAUGHS AREN’T EVERYTHING.
>> LAUGHSARE NICE, BUT YOU ARE NOT GOING FOR LAUGHS.
YOU ARE GOING FOR CONNECTION.
SHAYNA: FROM HER BACKYARD, I TRAVELED TO A WATERTOWN PARK TO REUNITE VETERAN COMICS.
DESPITE COHOSTING A DAILY ONLINE SHOW TOGETHER, THEY HADN’T SEEN EACH OTHER IN PERSON SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED.
KELLY MCFARLAND AND DAN CRONE’S COMEDY IS CONTAGIOUS.
SO IT IS NO WONDER THEY STARTED 2020 IN DEMAND.
>> IF YOU ASKED US A MONTH BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE LIKE, NOTHING CAN STOP THIS.
SHAYNA: AND THEN CORONA HIT.
>> WE WERE LIKE, I WONDER HOW EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING.
WE WOULD LAUGH BECAUSE WE WOULD BE LIKE, HOW ARE YOU?
I’M FINE.
SHAYNA: ENTER THEIR WEB SERIES, APTLY TITLED, I’M FINE.
>> JUST -- >> IT SAYS RECORDING ON THE TOP OF MY SCREEN.
>> I’M RECORDING.
>> THE FIRST FEW THAT WE DID, WE DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO STREAM IT.
>> AND THEN IT KIND OF TOOK OFF.
WE DID THAT FOR 44 SHOWS.
SHAYNA: WITH AN ALMOST CULTLIKE FOLLOWING.
>> MY MOM LIKED EVERY SINGLE EPISODE.
SHAYNA: WHY DID YOU STOP?
>> IF THE WORLD IS GOING TO TRY TO OPEN UP, WE NEED TO OPEN UP.
SHAYNA: SO THEY ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS WITH A NEW ONLINE SERIES CALLED, WE ARE FINE.
>> WE ARE GOING TO HAVE COMEDIANS DOING THEIR SETS.
SHAYNA: IS ZOOM THE FUTURE?
>> NO.
I HOPE THAT STAND UP WITH LIVE AUDIENCES WILL BE THE FUTURE.
>> I LIKE CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE.
AND EVERYONE SHARES LAUGHTER.
SHAYNA: IT WAS FUN TO DANCE WITH KELLY AND DAN.
THEY LAUNCHED THEIR ONLINE SERIES BUT IT IS ON HIATUS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST.
AND BACK TO BETHANY.
SHE WAS NAMED BOSTON MAGAZINES BEST C