How to Find the Funny in Times of Crisis (with Amber Ruffin)

Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams

Crooked Media

Society & Culture

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Political humor is more than just a distraction. It’s where punchlines meet headlines and chaos turns into catharsis. It offers us moments of levity amid an overwhelming, anxiety-fueled news cycle. In an America galloping towards autocracy, where the political landscape shifts by the hour and human rights teeter on the edge of policy, humor isn't just helpful…it’s essential. This week, Stacey sits down with someone who knows how to find the funny in the bleakest of times. Amber Ruffin, comedian, writer on Late Night with Seth Meyers and host of Have I Got News for You, joins the show to talk about how we can navigate this relentless moment in history with more laughter and maybe a little less fear. Learn & Do More: As Amber said, “a healthy you is a strong you..the solution can't come to a sad mind.” Do something that makes you laugh. Watch one of Amber's shows. Binge your favorite comfort show. Read something light. Spend time with the people who make you feel good. Whatever it is, make sure it puts a genuine smile on your face. You deserve that. Now more than ever.

Transcript

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1:29.3	slash assembly. That's j-o-in-b-l-t.com slash assembly. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you.
1:39.6	Joinbuilt.com slash assembly to sign up for Built today.
1:52.1	Thank you. built.com slash assembly to sign up for built today. Welcome to Assembly with Stacey Abrams from Cricket Media.
1:55.9	I'm your host, Stacey Abrams.
1:58.4	In my family, I have a very specific reputation for telling extremely dumb jokes.
2:04.5	At any given moment, I may call your phone and ask you a question like, have you read that book on
2:09.8	anti-gravity? I have. I couldn't put it down. Or I might reel you in with a complex yarn about
	...

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