Hope and laughter: How comedy helped heal after 9/11 terrorist attacks

Jasmeet Raina turned to comedy days after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when rumors circulated at school that his uncle was Osama bin Laden. He used humor to defuse tension and show others he wasn't a threat. This experience led Raina to become a professional comedian and actor. In the years following 9/11, Raina shared comedic skits and monologues about being a racialized kid growing up in Canada on YouTube, which garnered massive views and subscribers.

This inspired his TV show "Late Bloomer," set in suburban Toronto. Marlis Schweitzer, a theatre professor, noted that comedy helped people overcome the trauma after 9/11, with comedians like Rick Mercer and Jon Stewart using humor to critique government policies and make sense of the tragedy.