IAP 295: If You're Not Willing to Laugh at Yourself, Don't Worry... We'll Laugh at You! (Pt.1)

When you spend as much time as we do examining and analyzing the Italian American experience, sometimes you just have to laugh.  There are those little quirks that make us unique which are often at the source of so much of the "Italian American comedy" that speaks to each of us every time we encounter it.    But what makes "Italian American comedy" genuinely Italian American?  Is it the ethnicity of the performer or writer, the subject matter dealing with our culture and experience, or the audience that identifies as decidedly Italian American?   Perhaps, it's all of the above and more, so we're sitting down with our friend Brandon Ficara- a comedian, actor, author, speaker, and consultant- to dig into what makes us laugh at ourselves, and whether or not it's okay for others to laugh right along with us.   We'll discuss the evolution of Italian American comedy, from stand-up to sitcoms, and how portrayals of our community have evolved over time.  And we dig into some well-worn sensitivities we often have around perceptions of Italian Americans, and whether or not we need to explore those themes that make us uncomfortable to fully grasp who we are and where we've come from.   It's the first half of a 2-Part episode, Live and Uncut, that will leave you with a lot to think about, and hopefully a lot of laughs!