Several weeks ago I saw a television special about television (no, that wasn’t a typo!). It was one of those programs where they look at old shows and interview the actors about what their lives are like now. When they came to Garry Shandling, the former star of the self-created Larry Sanders Show – this is what he said: “the curtain is a metaphor. On the other side of the curtain is when we are ourselves.” Last night I had the chance to watch an extremely powerful video from comedian Anthony Griffith that made the exact same point in a different and more personal way.
On a Friday afternoon as I restart my long running feature on this blog of “Small Business Friday” to share insights and ideas that can help any small business owner – I thought the video was perfect to share. We all suffer from expectations of how people see us. Anthony Griffith is a hired clown – dedicated to making us laugh. But he proves perfectly that no matter what you are known for, sometimes the most humanizing thing you can do is share something real and personal. Comedians don’t always have to be funny to move us. All it takes is the bravery to pull back the curtain.
