If you ask your neighbor if he wants to engage in a conversation about politics, he’s likely going to say no.

Nobody wants to talk about politics these days, yet Jon Stewart and Bill Maher do it all the time. The difference is, they’re comedians. And comedy is a great vehicle to talk about hard things, including politics. 

What many Americans don’t realize is that American stand-up comedy was born in the Empire State. It sprang to life in the Borscht Belt of the Catskills and is nationally honored in Jamestown at the National Comedy Center.

In this piece, we look at how the Catskills became comedy’s fertile crescent and how humor that tackles social issues has evolved over the last 70 years.