Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
A spirit that is not afraid

Pete Davidson brings comedic relief to discussion of mental health

“I think comedy is being censored a lot right now, which is sad because I think it can do so much more,” Davidson said.

<p>Students line up to listen to Pete Davidson's tiger talk on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018.</p>

Students line up to listen to Pete Davidson's tiger talk on Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018.

Wearing a grey Auburn hoodie and black cap, SNL comedian Pete Davidson walked on stage to the sound of hundreds clapping inside the packed-out Student Center ballroom.

It only took about three minutes for a student to yell out, “War eagle!” to Davidson onstage, and the comedian looked around, puzzled.

“War eagle – what is that?” Davidson asked. “Y’all are cooler than that. Say, like, gang-gang or something.”

From then on, it was all laughs from the crowd as the 24-year-old comedian prepared to answer questions from Adam Gilliland, assistant director for UPC Major Entertainment and moderator for the talk.

“In your comedy, you talk a lot about mental health, you talk about the death of your father,” Gilliland said before being humorously cut-off by Davidson.

“Wow, off the bat, huh?” Davidson said as the crowd laughed.

For Davidson, whose father died on 9/11, laughing at struggles and making fun of bad stuff in life has always made him feel better, he said.

“You know when my dad died, I did get a lot of free stuff,” Davidson said.

After a brief talk, Davidson read aloud questions from the audience written on slips of paper. The first one, asking what his third favorite reptile was, caused him to burst out with bemusement.

It was only a matter of paper slips before Davidson was asked about his fiancée Ariana Grande.

“Being with Ariana is the sickest thing in the world, multiplied by 100,” Davidson said. “I’m a very lucky boy, and I’m forever in love.”

The Staten Island native has also gone through mental-health issues, of which the talk centered on. In an interview with Marc Maron, Davidson revealed he was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, which is characterized by instability in mood, behavior and functioning, according to the National Institute for Mental Health.

“It’s just something you got to stay on top of,” Davidson said. “With counseling and therapy and medication, it can be a long process to find out what works, but you have to make sure you stay good.”

In addition to seeking help, Davidson also said it’s important to maintain your mental health once it gets good and to work at it constantly.

“One of the main things with mental illness is impulse, and at least for me, controlling that has really helped,” Davidson said. “Group therapy helps, so you know you’re not the only person. There’s just so much, it really depends on you.”

Before leaving the stage, he spoke on the importance of comedy and the comfort it can potentially bring.

“I think comedy is being censored a lot right now, which is sad because I think it can do so much more,” Davidson said.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox


Share and discuss “Pete Davidson brings comedic relief to discussion of mental health” on social media.