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Using Laughter To Deal With No-Laughing-Matter
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The death of Dick Gregory is a reminder of how some people are driven by something bigger than fame and fortune. He was, for a brief time, a huge comedy celebrity because of his standup work, which was raw and pointed and unique for its time; he was among the very first to meld current events and political and social observations with comedy and cross over to a mainstream audience. But he quickly made that secondary to his activism, and while it sort of derailed his mainstream comedy career, his impact was much bigger than if he'd stayed as "just a comedian." He later drifted into conspiracy theories and weird nutrition stuff, but that doesn't detract from his influence; he was a giant in comedy and an important figure in the civil rights movement. (The New York Times)
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