Political comedians in the U.S. have sometimes struggled to cover the war in Gaza, which has been defined by tremendous human suffering and high political polarization, none of which seems particularly funny. Comedian Ramy Youssef attempted to tackle some of those issues in an opening monologue of a recent “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) episode.

Straight Arrow News contributor Jordan Reid gives her review of Youssef’s speech and then discusses the wider problems that political comedians face when covering tragic events. She argues that there is a unique role for comedians to help create a common space for public discussion on wars and other severe disasters, especially when public emotions are running too hot for us to have civil debates in other forums.

There is nothing funny about the situation in Gaza — where, in addition to the tens of thousands of lives lost, the citizens are currently facing a famine of proportions that may contribute to a ruling of genocide against Israel in the international court system. The images of starving children are haunting, unforgettable. There is also nothing funny about the 134 Israeli hostages remaining in Gaza under the control of Hamas, which presents a conundrum for comedians, especially those who tackle the political spectrum.

So, take recent SNL host Ramy Youssef, whose opening monologue directly addressed the conflict. The thing is, I loved the monologue. I did. It’s worth a watch if you haven’t seen the whole thing. I thought he was sincere and brave, and willing to speak on behalf of humanity rather than one “side” or the other. And somehow, while doing this, he also made me laugh, which is no easy feat.

The thing is, the news cycle is so unrelentingly negative, that… look, as human beings, at a certain point, you stop being able to absorb the information. It’s just too much, especially when the events taking place feel wholly out of your hands to do anything about.