Hasan Minhaj says the best part of a live show is that final moment when the crowd reacts to him saying goodnight. He describes laughter as a form of love, comparing its spontaneous honesty to the intimacy of sex. What he really wants is to feel seen.
From about halfway through the show to the end of the show, you were dominating and the crowd was just in the palm of your hands. It was so good. And at the end, mic drop, crowd goes wild. What is that feeling like? Because most human beings are never going to experience that.
Every artist, and I think every human being, whether it's intimate relationships, personal relationships, collaborating in business, everybody wants to feel seen. And the most enriching thing about that last moment when I say goodnight and I see people and their reaction, I feel seen. I'm like, oh, I think y'all, you guys get me. And to me, laughter in that exchange, in that live experience, is an expression of love. You know what I mean? Because I can't make you laugh. I can't like force you to laugh. Much like lovemaking, it's an intimate act.
Right.
And that release of laughter is like, oh, you get me.
