Gina Brillon is a Puerto Rican actress, slapstick comedian, author, and mother born and raised within the Bronx. In 2012, she turned the primary and solely Latina winner of NBC’s Stand Up for Range Showcase. She went on to launch comedy specials on NuvoTV, HBO, and Amazon Prime. She has appeared on “The View,” “Late Night time With Seth Meyers,” and “Jimmy Kimmel Reside,” and was the primary Latina comic to be a finalist in season 16 of “America’s Bought Expertise.”
For Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, we requested Latine comedians and creators we admire how comedy has supported them in overcoming trauma and confronting life’s most important challenges. Learn the items right here.
We do not speak sufficient in regards to the therapeutic powers of humor. The outdated saying, “laughter is the most effective medication,” as cliché as it could be, truly has a whole lot of fact to it. I discovered in regards to the energy of laughter at a comparatively younger age. In Latino households, we regularly use humor to heal from traumas and hardships. It helps us get by way of a lot. At house, we made jokes about all the things from the federal government, cheese we ate, to the broke, child video games we performed. I vastly touched on this in my Amazon Prime particular, “The Flooring is Lava.”
My childhood was good however got here with its justifiable share of struggles. Cash troubles had been actual, and I keep in mind us being on meals stamps at one level. We had our difficult occasions, however we in some way all the time managed to seek out alternatives to snort about it. It was a kind of, “for those who do not snort, you may cry” sort conditions. Nevertheless it wasn’t till I misplaced my grandmother that I spotted the momentary reduction a very good snort can convey, even within the face of loss and grief.
I say this on a regular basis, however my grandmother is your entire cause why I made a decision to pursue a profession as a slapstick comedian. I used to be most likely across the age of 8 or 9 once I realized I had a present for making individuals snort. It was additionally round that age that it actually hit me how therapeutic laughter might be. As soon as I spotted I might make somebody snort, it turned a mission to make these round me snort as a result of I cherished the enjoyment I obtained out of it. My grandmother was the primary grown-up within the household who seen I used to be humorous. She would inform my mother issues like, “Your daughter is gifted. She’s going to be on TV in the future,” and I slowly began to consider her.
For some time, I saved the jokes for the household. I used to be this loopy, humorous child at house, however I used to be rather more reserved at any time when I used to be in public. As a child, I used to be self-conscious as a result of I used to be the chubby, humorous lady. So, if I did not know you want that, I would not try and make you snort as a result of I used to be already too insecure. The truth is, friends and schoolmates who knew me rising up had been shocked once I turned a slapstick comedian. They all the time thought I used to be humorous, however in addition they thought I used to be shy as a result of I used to be rising up. I used to be by no means the category clown. However I used to be the child who was all the time fast with a joke. If I noticed a joke someplace, I might say it shortly earlier than anybody else might say it first.
My grandma was most likely one of many hardest girls I’ve ever met — to at the present time. This was my grandma on my maternal aspect. She lived with us and handed away once I was 16, however a big chunk of my childhood was spent round this girl whom I completely adored. She got here to New York from Puerto Rico and by no means actually discovered English like that, however the English she managed to be taught was from watching “I Love Lucy.” That is once I began understanding how a lot my grandma appreciated comedic reduction. As soon as I discovered that, I made it some extent all the time to crack her up.
My grandmother wasn’t a simple girl to make snort. She was powerful, and he or she was severe. She additionally hated pranks. However she cherished silliness. One thing about silliness allowed her to melt and totally convey down her guard — no matter what she was going by way of on the time. I began to review her humorousness and supplied her with the silliness I knew she loved. When my grandmother laughed, she laughed along with her total being. She exuded absolute pleasure — it introduced out one other aspect of her that I appreciated at a younger age. That turned our largest method of connecting — making her snort.
However once I was round 11, my grandmother’s well being started to say no. She would get cuts and bruises randomly. She began experiencing physique aches extra usually. I knew she wasn’t the identical once I began noticing my mother needed to bathe her every day. That was arduous for me as a result of I grew up seeing this sturdy girl who by no means needed to be a burden discovering herself in such a susceptible place. I virtually did not know how you can join along with her anymore. My siblings had been fast to assist in caring for her bodily, however I used to be by no means snug doing that. It was arduous for me to witness her at her weakest.
Throughout that point, I spotted that the most effective medication I needed to supply her was laughter. On her hardest days, I made positive to make her snort, and he or she always inspired me to make a profession out of it in the future. My grandma was my first comedy viewers and the primary one that actually believed in me, so when she handed, I advised God that I might pursue a profession in comedy.
I knew it was coming as a result of I by no means heard the worry on this girl’s voice like that earlier than. I keep in mind considering to myself, that is it. My mother advised me to go to mattress, however I could not. I requested if I might go to the toilet, and as quickly as I walked in there, I opened the window, fell to my knees, and began to hope. I keep in mind the primary phrases out of my mouth had been, “God, I do know tonight you are taking my grandma.” I advised God that from that second on, any time I make any person snort, it will be in honor of my grandmother. And if I ever do something in comedy, it’ll all the time be for her. The following morning, she was gone.
It was a tough season for my household — significantly my mother. It took some time earlier than it felt acceptable, however I slowly began to make use of humor to assist myself and the remainder of the household get by way of it. Even on the funeral, as troublesome because it was, there have been little moments the place the household would joke and roast one another, and it was therapeutic. We allowed ourselves to grieve and to cry. However we additionally discovered alternatives to snort and smile in reminiscence of my grandmother.
To at the present time, each single time I step on stage, I consider my grandmother. I actually really feel her vitality with me each time. I can really feel her within the room watching me. I am all the time like, “Did you see that, grandma? Did you see what I simply did? Did you prefer it?”
Each milestone has been devoted to her, from my first 20-minute particular for HBO’s “Entre Nos” to once I did my first one-hour particular “Pacifically Talking,” my Amazon Prime particular “The Flooring Is Lava,” to even once I was on “America’s Bought Expertise.” My sister, who is actually huge into the religious aspect of issues, all the time tells me that my grandma is all the time with me. I consider that all of us have a counsel of people who find themselves meant to take care of us on this life, and I consider we select them. I selected my grandmother, and I selected George Carlin — my favourite comic rising up. I actually consider he is a part of the souls watching over me to the purpose the place each time I stroll into Gotham Comedy Membership, I give a salute to his picture.
Not solely has comedy gotten me by way of each troublesome circumstance I’ve skilled on this life, from heartache to loss, nevertheless it has additionally helped me discover myself. It remodeled a younger, insecure lady into essentially the most assured she has ever been. It gave me the flexibility to attach with individuals, the primary one being my grandmother. Comedy has allowed me to assist others heal due to the best way it has helped me heal in my very own methods. It’s my longest relationship on this life and my most cherished one.
— As advised to Johanna Ferreira
Johanna Ferreira is the content material director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With greater than 10 years of expertise, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central a part of Latine tradition. Beforehand, she spent shut to 3 years because the deputy editor at HipLatina, and he or she has freelanced for quite a few shops together with Refinery29, O Journal, Attract, InStyle, and Nicely+Good. She has additionally moderated and spoken on quite a few panels on Latine identification.