'Hacks' Season 5 Panel Explores Comedy as Connection and Empathy
By
Alison Foreman
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
A USG University panel featuring 'Hacks' Season 5 creators Jen Statsky, Lucia Aniello, and Robby Hoffman, along with star Hannah Einbinder and moderator Rob Tokarz, explores how the HBO comedy series uses humor as a tool for connection, empathy, and survival. The discussion highlights how comedy functions as both a lifeline and a means of maintaining control for characters like Deborah Vance and Ava Daniels, reflecting the show's deeper themes beyond just laughter.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledFor Deborah, comedy was a way to maintain control over a changing trajectory in Hollywood.
For Ava Daniels, it became a means of processing uncertainty in her own career.
Jokes functioned as both an act of warm generosity and subtle self-preservation.
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