Bono suggests using comedians Amy Schumer and Sacha Baron Cohen to fight extremism
U2 frontman Bono has suggested using comedy as a means of fighting extremism.
The singer – real name Paul Hewson – said he was “actually [being] serious” about sending comedians such as Amy Schumer, Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen to fight such groups.
Speaking in front of a Senate subcommittee on Tuesday he said: “Don’t laugh. I think comedy should be deployed. It’s like, you speak violence, you speak their language. But you laugh at them, when they’re goose-stepping down the street, and it takes away their power.
“So, I’m suggesting that the Senate send in Amy Schumer, and Chris Rock, and Sacha Baron Cohen, thank you.”
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Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat for New Hampshire replied: “Actually, that’s not the first time I’ve heard experts on how do we counter violent extremism talk about that. It’s one of the things that we’re looking at.”
Bono – who recently returned from a humanitarian visit to Africa and the Middle East – was at the Dirksen Senate Office Building to discuss terrorism and the refugee crisis and encouraged officials to think of foreign aid as national security.
“Aid in 2016 is not charity; it is national security,” he said. “It could be the best bulwark we have against violent extremism.”
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