No Moleste

Tig Notaro is a goddess among comedy mortals.

In 2012, a bunch of really bad stuff happened to her: she got pneumonia, and then this super-serious intestinal infection, and then her mom died unexpectedly, and then a big break-up with a long-term partner. Then she found out that she had cancer in both breasts, cancer which soon spread to her lymph nodes.

That's a lot.

But, in an unbelievable spirit of resilience, she decided to do a comedy set about it all. In August of 2012, she performed at Club Largo in Los Angeles, turning her miseries into a remarkably funny stand-up performance. The audio recording was eventually released as the album Live (like imperative verb that means "be alive!" and not like the adjective which means "happening right now"). It's great and I completely recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet heard it but likes to laugh or exist. Here is the set on YouTube.

But if you'd rather not listen to life-affirming jokes about cancer, here is another video of her from the Aspen Rooftop Comedy Festival in 2008. She talks about the "Do Not Disturb" signs in Mexican hotels.