Solving Jigsaws

When we think of comedy specials, we usually think of comedians setting up exaggerated situations or twisting mundane scenarios to get a quick laugh. Comedians almost never focus on philosophical questions, after all, people watch their shows as a means to escape reality. However, Jigsaw by Daniel Sloss seems to challenge all the rules to a comedy special. Throughout his show, Sloss talks about why certain scenarios should be funny and centers his show around life lessons. 

Jigsaw focuses on an analogy that Sloss learned after asking his father what the meaning of life is. Sloss’ father explained that life is basically one large jigsaw puzzle that you’re trying to piece together; in the four corners, there’s the foundation to our lives: friends, family, hobbies/interests, and jobs. At the center of the puzzle is a black space, the place where his significant other should be. Throughout the show, Sloss questions the notion of this blank space; after all, why should a person spend their entire life trying to find that perfect person to fit into a tiny space you’ve left time? Is love truly love, if you have to break away pieces of your life/puzzle to accommodate for the? Sloss expands on this analogy by talking about the constant societal pressure of today’s youth to conform to the notion that the purpose of life is to stay in a relationship. 

“All I'm asking is, have you ever been in a situation like that in a relationship where you felt trapped like you couldn't get out of it, and it was just easier to stay in it?” 

The more you watch the special, the less it seems like a comedic bit and more like a form of self-help. Throughout the show, Sloss interlaces bits of dark humor to serve as distractions to his deep questions. As members of the audience, we grasp these jokes and try to ignore the fact that Sloss’ message might have merit. Yet the more Sloss targets these insecurities, the harder you laugh, until eventually, you don’t even know if you’re laughing at his jokes, or if laughter has become a coping mechanism. And that is why I love this comedy special. In a cynical way, Sloss is making people realize that they might not truly be in love, using the most universal language: humor. 

I highly recommend that you check out Jigsaw, not because it teaches you a good life lesson, but because it effortlessly laces comedic anecdotes to real-life lessons in the most palpable form.