Fear and Laughing in L.A.

Fear can be paralyzing. Whether it’s the fear of a virus or the fear of street crime, it can quickly take over our thoughts.

Right now, the rise in crime in Los Angeles and other cities across America has taken over a lot of people’s thoughts. As you’ll read in our report this week from Community and Arts Editor Kylie Ora Lobell, the recent murder of Beverly Hills philanthropist Jacqueline Avant is only the latest in a string of brazen crimes taking place not only in Beverly Hills but throughout Los Angeles.

As you’ll also read in a column by our U.S. Political editor Dan Schnur, the national script has flipped since the “Defund the Police” protests of 2020. “A year later,” he writes, “much has changed. Many American cities have seen dramatic increases in the number of homicides committed in their jurisdictions.” As a result, “the overall feeling of danger and vulnerability is palpable” and there has been “a noticeable shift in the public discussion of these issues.”

Lobell reports that according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore, the rise in crime is directly related to law enforcement reforms that have backfired. 

The key point is this: Physical safety is not a partisan issue. Whether one votes Democrat or Republican, no one wants to live in fear. Criminal justice reform may have been well-intentioned, but the resulting rise in crime has triggered widespread outrage. Concerned voters are pushing back.

We confronted our own tension this week between the sober and the funny when we had to decide which story to feature on our cover—the rise in crime or the rise of a Jewish comic?

Meanwhile, as fear was spreading, another story was rising in Jewish Los Angeles, one that represents the very opposite of fear. It’s a story of laughter, very intense laughter. 

Local Jewish comic Elon Gold landed a recurring role in Season 11 of Larry David’s famously popular show, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” As you’ll read in Brian Fishbach’s story, this was a lifelong dream.  

Gold, an Orthodox Jew, is not just another Jewish-American comedian in a long line of them. He’s a Jewish comedian who’s not afraid to wear his Judaism on his sleeve, and in his act.

In “Curb,” Gold plays a Hulu executive who throws out words like mitzvah, tachles, mensch and mechayeh, and even invites David to his house for Shabbos dinner. In the spirit of the show, as Fishbach writes, “It comes as no surprise that Larry is irritated by Jake’s overt reliance on Jewishness to create a rapport.”

Larry’s irritation at things silly and serious is the lifeblood of “Curb.” The genius of the show is its ability to confront serious subjects in a disarming way that keeps the viewer constantly off balance. There’s a delicious tension, for example, between the seriousness of a synagogue scene in one of the episodes and the show’s hysterical comedy.

We confronted our own tension this week between the sober and the funny when we had to decide which story to feature on our cover—the rise in crime or the rise of a Jewish comic?

The Laugh Factory was our little island of sanity and pleasure, a reminder that we don’t just live to survive. Yes, we should never ignore danger and must always take precautions. But as we do, we should also never forget to laugh, especially when the laughs come from a funny and proud Jewish comic.

I can’t pretend it was an easy call. One can argue persuasively that danger should come before laughter, that a “Rise in Crime” report should have been our cover story. That certainly would have garnered attention; we all know that in the media world, fear sells, and for good reason.

So, why did we end up choosing laughter over fear? In short, because laughter reminds us why we’re alive in the first place. Are there more enjoyable pleasures in life than some really good laughs?

I experienced that first-hand the night before Thanksgiving at The Laugh Factory, where Gold was hosting his annual comedy night. The place was packed. People couldn’t wait to start laughing, and they did, all night. The sober realities of life— the pandemic, the rise in crime, inflation, a divided nation, etc.—were still out there, but for two hours at least, none of it interfered with our laughter.

The Laugh Factory was our little island of sanity and pleasure, a reminder that we don’t just live to survive. Yes, we should never ignore danger and must always take precautions. But as we do, we should also never forget to laugh, especially when the laughs come from a funny and proud Jewish comic. 

That’s why we chose to feature Elon Gold on our cover.