“It is important to realize that humor is not only “hee-hee-ha-ha”, but also a mechanism that helps to survive pain and despair,” says Vasyl Baydak about laughter as a tool for adaptation and maintaining mental health in difficult times. He is one of the most successful Ukrainian stand-up comedians, who has worked in the genre of absurd for a long time, and during the full-scale invasion focused on observational comedy. He constantly holds creative meetings and auctions for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and speaks to the military in the combat zone. In this interview, Vasyl talks about the origins and modern features of Ukrainian humor. In particular, he reflects on the following: Why are totalitarian regimes so afraid of humor? Is it possible to influence the enemy with jokes? Can humor help break stereotypes? “So far” is a series of interviews about the relationship between the past and the present. The host is journalist Yulia Tymoshenko, the guests are authoritative people in certain topics or industries. The project is implemented within the framework of the Ukrainian Civil Society Information Resilience Program with the support of IREX in Ukraine. We also thank the cultural institution "Ukrainian Small Drama Theater" for the space provided for the photo shoot of this episode. -------------------- 👉 Read the text interview with Vasyl Baydak on our website: https://www.ukrainer.net/doteper-bayd... 🔔 Subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications so you don't miss new interviews 👀 More Ukraїner videos — on the main channel: / @ukrainernet 👉 Support our work with a messenger donation, or a regular subscription to MonoBase: https://base.monobank.ua/994LJJE7LgRydz 📗 When purchasing our merch and books, 30% of the cost goes to supporting our work: https://store.ukrainer.net/ 🎧 Listen on other platforms: Apple Podcast — https://bit.ly/409CG6W Spotify — https://bit.ly/405lgIO Host Yulia Tymoshenko on Instagram: / yulia_tymosha Vasyl Baydak on Instagram: / by_by_duck Actor from the Ukrainian play "Cabaret": https://apostrophe.ua/ua/article/lime... _________ 🕐 Timecodes: 00:00:00 Vasyl Baydak about humor as a way of self-expression, helping the mentally ill and jokes 00:04:15 Formation of Vasyl Baydak as a comedian: children's talents, KVC, stand-up 00:08:41 Peculiarities of British and American humor 00:12:28 Absurd humor in Ukrainian literature 00:14:14 How charity auctions were transformed during the war 00:19:01 About the transition to the Ukrainian language in creativity and everyday life 00:34:23 Changing humor along with language and perception of literary language 00:38:00 Russian VS Ukrainian stand-up 00:40:30 Can Ukrainian make you laugh? 00:44:18 Humor as a weapon against dictatorship 00:53:00 How humor affects the enemy 00:56:50 Why do we laugh? 01:01:44 Black humor and its role in accepting death 01:12:42 Humor as a tool for working with trauma 01:24:00 How Vasyl Baydak changed focus with the outbreak of war 01:28:20 The ban on Ukrainian jokes and the fears of dictators 01:33:38 On the absurdity of corrupt officials 01:37:35 Ukrainian regional humor 01:45:13 Do stereotypes help with joking? 01:52:40 About tolerance in humor 02:00:03 The image of a "Muscovite" VS the image of a "Khokhla" 02:10:25 Entertainment content for cultural diplomacy 02:18:26 Translatability of the Ukrainian context for foreigners and assistance to Ukraine 02:29:05 What is the difference between Ukrainian and Russian humor? 02:40:08 Self-irony and the identity of Ukrainians 02:47:20 About the influence of "95 Quarter" and the humor of the 90s on culture 03:07:54 Has Ukrainian humor managed to decommunize? 03:11:03 The future of Ukrainian comedy 03:14:52 What kind of Ukraine of the future does Vasyl Baydak dream of?