When the news broke of the tragic passing, on 28 October 2023, of the comedy actor and everyone's sarcastic favourite in Friends, Matthew Perry, the tributes didn't focus solely on his talents for making people laugh. Featured prominently in the obituaries were his struggles with mental health and addictions to alcohol and painkillers, something the man himself would undoubtedly have approved of, given his openness on the subject.
Perry wasn't unique in this. Many comedy icons - Robin Williams and Spike Milligan spring most easily to mind - were well known for their mental health struggles.
Such talents lend themselves to the 'tears of a clown' cliché, a concept best illustrated by the old punchline delivered when a depressed patient goes to see a doctor. The physician advises them to go and see the famous clown Pagliacci to lighten their spirits, only for the patient to burst into tears and reply: "But Doctor, I am Pagliacci." Why would people so gifted at making others laugh be prone to struggle with their own happiness? Some surprisingly logical explanations can be offered by the workings of the human brain.
Humans are extremely social creatures: our brains experience pleasure when others approve of us, and pain if we're rejected socially. A low social status is reliably linked to mental health issues, like depression and anxiety.
This story is from the March/April 2024 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March/April 2024 edition of Very Interesting.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
TAKE IT SLOW
Slow running is a fitness trend with some hard and fast science behind it
Physics, AI and music share a common thread. You just have to know where to look
Studying science can lead you in many directions and open doors to unexpected possibilities along the way
BED BUGS VS THE WORLD
When bloodthirsty bed bugs made headlines for infesting Paris Fashion Week in 2023, it shone a spotlight on a problem that's been making experts itch for decades: the arms race going on between bed bugs and humans
Kids are the key to understanding obesity. But we need more of their genes...
We can unravel the role that bodyweight plays in disease, but we need a bigger, more diverse, sample of genetic material to do so
COVID inquiry: What did we learn and what can we do better in future pandemics?
Masks, social distancing, lockdowns... how effective was the UK's response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
One hormone could be the key that unlocks a cure for morning sickness
The nausea and vomiting that, in extreme cases, can endanger mothers and babies might soon be just a memory
THE WORLD'S WEIRDEST CREATURES
Under the sea and upon the land, some animals look - to us - pretty strange...
WHEN MIND AND MACHINE COLLIDE
First, Elon Musk wanted to make electric cars ubiquitous, then he wanted to make space exploration a private enterprise. Now, with Neuralink, his newest venture, Musk hopes to merge humans and artificial intelligence. Turns out, it might not be such a crazy idea...
COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL
Social anxiety is more than just being shy. It's a phobia born out of our evolutionary past. But that raises a puzzling question: why do so many of us fear human interaction when we're supposed to be the most sociable species on the planet?
SPACE ODDITIES
Take a tour of the weirdest spots in the universe, where the 'normal' rules don't apply. Places that squeeze time, blow bubbles and even rain glass... sideways
