Introducing 3/5 Comedy — And Why We Need It
by Donal Buckley ‘26
If you’re looking for a good laugh, USC’s got you covered. Our institution’s ever-expanding comedy scene is one of the standout parts of the university, which hosts a plethora of sketch comedy, improv, and stand-up groups. Among these is the brand-new 3/5 Comedy, founded by Black students as an effort to uplift and promote underrepresented voices in comedy circles.
3/5 Comedy was created by director Kamryn Tate, a sophomore majoring in theater (acting emphasis), and executive producer Jo Branson, also a sophomore who’s majoring in film and television production. The two gave insight to why 3/5 Comedy was a must-have for USC.
Before coming to USC, Kamryn had never explored a career in comedy but was introduced to it last year when she joined the improv group, Commedus Interruptus. As a theater major, she felt like she needed to add more tools to her acting toolbox, thus beginning her journey into comedy. From there, a passion for the craft ignited within her. “I realized that there are aspects of comedy that I wanted to explore relating to political comedy, satire, Black comedy… Things that I just did not feel that I could adequately explore in the space that I was in,” she said. In creating 3/5 Comedy, she wanted to foster an environment that was focused on Black voices but was also inclusive of other minorities and white people as well.
Additionally, Kamryn noted that she was one of the very few Black people doing comedy at USC. “Being in this space, I was like, I felt a bit of tokenism,” she said. Being in this position, she felt like she had to change her approach to comedy in order to fit into what she felt like the school wanted to see. “I felt like I needed to conform to do comedy that I didn't find funny,” she remembered. In creating this club, she hopes to not only provide opportunities for her community but reignite her authentic comedic voice as well. “There was a part of me that forgot, like, I grew up on the Boondocks, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Everybody Hates Chris, In Living Color… All of these Black-focused comedians, and I knew good and well [what was here] wasn't all there is to it.”
Jo cited similar incentives for creating the organization. She noted that she interacts with USC’s comedy scene regularly, and it’s very white. When Kamryn approached her about helping start 3/5 Comedy, she fell in love with the idea. “It is very difficult to not feel a little bit othered especially as a Black individual who was interested in comedy. So when Kamryn came to me with this idea, I just wanted to help as much as I could, and be a part of this,” she said. Jo was passionate about this project due to her background in theater growing up. She works mostly behind the scenes, dealing with the logistical aspect of the club.
Jo also mentioned how she and Kamryn met while auditioning for an improv troupe, which was an odd process for her because there were only two or three other Black people there. She felt like they were all battling for the same spot – “You're fighting to be the token, and it sucks, and it's hard to ignore.” So, 3/5 Comedy is a way to emphasize Black comedy and give an opportunity to people who may not have had it before.
“We wanted to also make a safe space for Black voices, especially, to come and just be themselves and to tell their stories, because comedy is such a coping mechanism for generational trauma,” Jo said. The type of comedy she and Kamryn want to portray isn’t quite what’s common to USC; they want to be able to make jokes about their heritage and the experiences they go through as Black people. Jo said, “It’s normalized amongst us, but not in mainstream comedy, which is very white, so we want to be able to have that space to make these jokes and that they will be understood.” In a predominantly white setting, she noted that she’d have to fill in gaps of misunderstanding because they don’t share the same experiences.
“We're creating sketches for everyone to indulge and enjoy,” Kamryn added. “But there is a special emphasis on the things that we are writing and saying that checks a box in a Black person's head, like, ‘I get it.’” However, she did emphasize that they’re still remaining inclusive to other groups to avoid segregating their comedy and that dedicating it to just one target audience doesn’t facilitate any inclusivity. “There will never be a stigma of us versus them or them versus us.”
3/5 Comedy isn’t just a stepping stone for underrepresented groups, it’s also an agent of change. Kamryn feels like people are scared to go outside their comfort zone, and as a Black woman, something she says can touch a nerve that may otherwise land a giggle if she were someone else. “I'm hoping to erase that sense of boxing comedy and because I feel like USC comedy wants to be safe. And that's not real comedy. What makes comedy funny is that there is truth in it,” she said. “We live in a place where we are this generation, it's starting to be more politically active than the last, and they had the Panthers. So we are these little mini activists and so comedy most definitely is not the place where you want to play it safe. I want to erase that. I want to be radical. Being Black is radical.”
Jo had similar feelings, “A big thing about being Black and doing comedy, especially in a PWI, is that there’s a constant sense of trying to inhibit yourself and your identity where it's like, oh, wait, maybe I shouldn't joke about that. Because, like, for white people, they won't get it or I’ll make them uncomfortable.” It’s something they’re tired of, and she said it’s always on people of color’s minds whenever they make a joke about their own community. She wants to start conversations. “We should be able to joke about ourselves and our people and our problems and our things without having to worry about making the white man uncomfortable.”
Kamryn added that it’s not just about raising awareness to white people but starting conversations within her own community as well. “I’ve observed the wrongdoings and those sweeping them under the rug, Black people want to play it safe too,” she said. “And let's do all these things to shed some light on them. Everything can't be done in the dark.”
3/5 Comedy is all about making space for the right conversations, right down to its name. Kamryn said that she needed something related to Black culture and was particularly attracted to ideas rooted in anti-Blackness and marginalization. “3/5 Comedy comes from the Three-fifths Compromise, which was a law pretty much mandating that Black people were three-fifths of a person for voting purposes… It was essentially putting us in another place where we could not have full, total access. This is where you can get the full, total access,” Kamryn said. She also mentioned that when people do learn the meaning behind their name, it leaves an impact, which is what they intend. They leave people saying, “Whoa, that’s crazy.”
When Jo heard the name for the first time, she really liked it – “If you're not laughing, you're crying. You know, it's another generational trauma joke that just kind of sets the precedent of our content really well.”
“We're going to put our fingers in all the subjects that you find uncomfy, including that,” Kamryn said. “And when you say our name, you're reiterating history. History is not being forgotten.”
When asked about their inspirations, Jo cited Key and Peele. “They like to kind of push boundaries and make racial tension funny, because racial tension is funny in many circumstances, and we'd like to kind of use that to make people uncomfortable and laugh,” she said. She also mentioned the sitcom, The Wayan Bros., as a source of inspiration for her.
“Growing up, I watched shows I wasn’t supposed to watch like the Boondocks,” Kamryn said. “That was, like, the first show that was abrasive, politically active, politically knowledgeable, while still being able to spin it.” She also listed the Bodega Boys podcast as inspiring for her as well.
Still a fresh organization, their main goal is to push their content and gain traction. “We do sketches every Thursday,” Kamryn said. “We write and produce them all together, and we put them out. We’re just trying to get started, make content and push it as frequently as possible.”
“We're just gonna push it out there as much as we can to get that momentum going,” Jo added. “You know, we're doing the best we can and making the most of it.”
3/5 Comedy is currently accepting applications and hope to continue adding members who are interested in fostering an inclusive comedic space. Any and all people are welcome to try out.
To check out their work and find the application, you can visit their Instagram and YouTube pages.
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