Comedy ... Just. That. Easy!

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“Kavanaugh Disappointed to Learn Supreme Court Has No Happy Hour” — humorist Andy Borowitz

The news has been rough the past two years. Yes, it could get better on Election Day. But whatever happens, humor is — always has been — the best way to get through tough times.

There are a lot of people here in PT profoundly unhappy with the constant stream of dispiriting news coming out of Washington. Many won’t watch TV or read major newspapers anmore.

That’s a mistake, albeit an understandable one. But...this is the golden age of political humor, and it’s never been needed more. It’s arguably the best coping mechanism we’ve got.

A sense of humor will get you through a lot. Not just political setbacks, but things like aging or health problems.

Four years ago, when I got hit with some major health issues and ended up in a Seattle hospital, I got the doctors and nurses on my side by joking around. They needed levity as much as I did.

Not long ago, I got a call at home one night. From my physician. Oh oh. A call from a doctor at home is rarely a good thing. Like hearing from a bill collector.

But to my surprise, my medic called to thank me for making him laugh during my visit that day. “I know you deal with a lot of hurting, unhappy people all day,” I told him. “I thought you could use a lift.” He did.

A public service: This dispenser of comedy remedies offers these medications to help you laugh through BLOTUS’ dismal reign:

—“The Stephanie Miller Show,” 6-9 a.m. weekdays, Sirius Channel 127, also streaming on several major radio stations like Chicago’s WCPT, plus cable TV’s Free Speech TV.

Morning radio has been unfriendly to female personalities, but Miller, impressively, has hung in for almost 20 years, back to when she and Al Franken pioneered progressive Air America Radio.

Miller’s from an uber-GOP family: Her father, Rep. William Miller, was Barry Goldwater’s running mate and was also head of the RNC. But Miller, who has great comic timing, is a diehard Dem, and always has clever material, e.g., branding Trump Junior as Traitor Tot, Daddy as Bobby Bonespurs and Herr Twitler, and KellyAnn Conway as The Crypt Keeper.  Among Miller’s regular guests are comics like Jodie Hamilton (Carol Burnett’s daughter) and John Fugelsang, plus MSNBC regular Malcolm Nance. Laughing is a great way to start the day, and Miller, who has great material, always delivers. Check her out.

— “Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” CBS, 11:35 weeknights. Colbert has been one of Trump’s most nettlesome critics, and even though this show (which I DVR) is not as funny as his Comedy Central gig was,  Colbert is a talented physical comic and has good material. I only watch Acts 1 and 2— the first two segments. The rest of the show is actors plugging books and movies.

Sample joke: “The only thing Trump has been able to build so far are eight wall prototypes. They’re different shapes and colors. They are like accent walls — because they are to keep out anyone with an accent.”

—“Late Night With Seth Meyers,” NBC, 11:30 weeknights: Hosted by the bright former “SNL” Weekend Update anchor.  Meyers has the best staff of comedy writers in late night. Sample: “Ted Cruz says the Democrats are trying to turn Texas into California, with tofu, silicon, and dyed hair. Ted, YOUR hair is so black, it voted against you.”

Here again, I watch the first two segments, then bail.

Also funny: Peerless humorist  Andy Borowitz’ New Yorker e-mail feed (see sample above), and comedian Hal Sparks’ WCPT show, Saturday mornings at 9.

Let’s keep laughing...at President Punchline!

(PT resident Bill Mann has written the humor column for CBS MarketWatch and USA Today. He’s Newsmann9@gmail.com)