comedy

Dewas Dorje holds a mic while on stage wearing a bright color block shirt.

Upper Left Comedy Festival showcases a more diverse Northwest comedy scene

Grace Madigan

The inaugural Upper Left Comedy Festival in Seattle will feature over 40 stand-up comics across three nights — and the majority of them are local.

Conan O'Brien in 2016. He is being sued by a writer who accuses him of stealing jokes. O'Brien says the idea of stealing someone else's comedy makes him physically ill.

Arts & Culture

Can You Copyright Your Dumb Joke? And How Can You Prove It's Yours?

Laurel Wamsley

"Joke theft" sounds funny, but that claim is at the heart of a lawsuit lodged against Conan O'Brien. The case brings thorny questions of humor to the courtroom, a place not always known for jokes.

Comedian Jan Boehmermann during an award ceremony in Duesseldorf, Germany, in January.

News

Germany Drops Investigation Of Comic Whose Poem Insulted Turkey's Leader

Merrit Kennedy

Germany has a little-used law that criminalizes insulting foreign heads of state. The prosecutors say they are ending their investigation against Jan Boehmermann, citing a lack of evidence.

Arts & Culture

Comedian Mike Birbiglia Flexes His Storytelling Muscles In 'Don't Think Twice'

Ariel Van Cleave

Comedian Mike Birbiglia is in Seattle Friday Aug. 5 for screenings of his new film “Don’t Think Twice” at SIFF Cinema Uptown. Birbiglia wrote, directed…

Arts & Culture

Comedian Bridget Quigg Pokes Fun At Seattle's Startup Scene In Her Show `Techlandia'

Ashley Gross

There’s a lot of angst about Seattle’s growing tech sector these days, with people blaming it for everything from rising rents to congested streets. But…

Pakistani stand-up comedy pioneer Saad Haroon tests cultural sensitivities between his native country and India in his material. "When it comes to satire, I think as a culture, we kind of struggle with it," he says.

Stand-Up Bridges Decades-Long Boundaries — By Crossing The Line

Philip Reeves

In Pakistan, a stand-up comic is sharing the stage with another comedian from the old enemy, India. The comics believe laughter is the best medicine for their conflict-blighted region.