Documentary Review: 'Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th'

Do you recall the first time you laughed at the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack on New York City. It’s a strange question, I know, but it’s notable. Like every other normal aspect of life in the wake of that day, comedy was forever changed by 9/11. The first time you found yourself capable of laughing in the wake of that awful day is a memory that stands out for many. Myself, I think it may have been The Onion and their 9/11 themed release.

The headline “American Life Turns into Bad Jerry Bruckheimer Movie” was the first time I smiled and laughed at anything after 9/11. It was a deep, rueful laugh accompanied by a well of tears. That one and “Hugging Up 76,000%” are two of the most important jokes I’ve ever read. There was something just so perfectly absurd about them both and they reflected something in us all, the need we have to commiserate with humor.

The new Vice TV documentary Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th, reflects on the state of comedy in the wake of September 11th and how comedians helped to pave the way for how we all processed the sorrow, the fear and the defiant emotions that came rushing forward in the aftermath of 9/11. The documentary from director Nick Scown takes us on a tour of the myriad reactions comics had in the days and years following September 11th.

Memories from the immediate aftermath of September 11th, 2001 are extraordinarily clear for many. It was a flashpoint and where you were and what you were doing at that moment will never go away for those old enough to have witnessed the terror and fear. But beyond that were little milestones, the return to a new normalcy, the picking up of old habits that were broken for a period as we collectively mourned. The new normal was choking back emotions and carrying on and the world of comedy reflected that feeling.

Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th features interviews with the biggest names in comedy at the time and how they dealt with the horror and tragedy. Among the notable segments of the documentary is the reverence with which comedians spoke of David Letterman, at the time, the most tenured and well respected comedian in the profession. How Letterman handled returning to work on The Late Show with David Letterman after September 11th would set the tone for the rest of the comedy community and his somber, emotional and poignant reaction is spoken of with respect, fondness and a wealth of admiration.

Another incredible stretch of Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th takes us inside the offices of The Onion satirical newspaper. Thanks to archived footage collected by Onion staffers at the time, we are taken inside the room as the writers grieved and struggled and managed to strike the perfect balance of catharsis and defiance. Many wondered how the snarky, rebellious, and irreverent writers at The Onion would be able to go on and the footage from inside the inner sanctum of The Onion is remarkable.

I’m not going to detail every aspect of the documentary, I want you to watch it on September 8th on Vice or online once it becomes available, but I do want to highlight one more aspect of Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th. Director Nick Scown takes a closer look at how Muslim comedians and comedians of a particular racial makeup reacted after September 11th and how their comedy and how they saw the world was affected by the attacks.

Maz Jobrani, Russell Peters, Negin Farsad and Asif Maandvi deliver poignant, nuanced and funny anecdotes and memories from the days and years after September 11th. It is funny and fascinating to hear how this bizarre and tragic circumstance placed their work in a brand new and uneasy context. How they would choose to address September 11th, Islam, the war on terror, and so on, is a topic that doesn’t get discussed enough in discourse on comedy and Director Nick Scown gives the topic room to breathe.

Other comedians making appearances and sharing memories of September 11th include Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Marc Maron, Jimmy Carr and Gilbert Gottfried whose performance at the Comedy Central Roast of Hugh Hefner is highlighted in Too Soon in a way that perfectly recaptures what it was like in the moment. It’s a fascinating segment in an overall fascinating and compelling documentary.

Too Soon: Comedy After September 11th debuts on Tuesday, September 8th on Vice TV and will be available to stream via Vice’s platforms following the debut.