A tragedy like the one that Pete Davidson suffered when he was just a boy is enough to break anyone. It's enough to stifle someone's entire life if they can't find a way to accept it. There's no doubt that the Saturday Night Live star has felt the pain of the incalculable loss of his firefighter father, Scott, during the attack on The World Trade Center in September 2001. But Pete has also found an authentic and healthy way of making this terrible day part of the man he's become.
Instead of wallowing in self-pity or refusing to get out of bed in the morning, the stand-up comic works his father's tragic death into his act. He also made a movie about it called The King Of Staten Island. But it's more Pete's sense of humor that reveals how he's coped with it.
Pete's often cringe-worthy dark comedy isn't for everyone. But it is a sign that he doesn't take his pain too seriously. He has a perspective on it, and he's not afraid to humanize it. As former Late Late Show host, Craig Ferguson once said, making fun of the worst aspects of life makes them seem a little less daunting. Here are some instances when Pete absolutely proved (in some pretty shocking and offensive ways) that he has a very evolved perspective on his father's death...
6 Pete Davidson's Joke On The Howard Stern Show
Pete Davidson clearly wasn't afraid to make light of the dark when he was interviewed on The Howard Stern Show for the first time. This was when he was still dating Ariana Grande. During the interview, he addressed the topic of having intercourse with such an attractive woman. While we can't quote Pete's joke here, he essentially said that he is able to hold out with Ariana in bed by thinking about his father's death.
This is obviously a very dark joke for a crowd that loves that type of humor. But it's also a sign that Pete's way of dealing with this horrible event is to poke fun at it.
5 Pete's Reaction To Jimmy Carr's Shocking About His Father
Some fans thought that Jimm Carr's joke about Pete Davidson's father was "absolutely sickening". But Pete Davidson didn't. In fact, Jimmy Carr has said that he got permission from the Saturday Night Live star before he made the extremely edgy joke at The Comedy Central Roast of Rob Lowe. For those who don't know, the British comedian said this about his fellow roaster:
"I'm appalled that people would come here and make jokes about the sacrifice Pete's heroic father made on 9/11. This is not the roast of Pete Davidson's father. That was in 2001."
Prior to doing the joke at the roast, Jimmy even tested it out at a comedy club where Pete was present. So, while some audience members gasped and groaned when they heard it, it's clear that Pete really didn't care. In fact, he thought the joke was damn funny.
4 Pete Doesn't Hold His Father Up As A Perfect Person
There's no doubt that Scott Davidson was a hero. And Pete never denies this. But he doesn't shy away from showing all sides of Scott in his comedy routine. On numerous occasions, Pete has shared some very human stories of his father. This includes one that a friend of Scott's told Pete about his father spying on his friend jumping into bed with another woman.
"[My dad's friend's] like, 'Isn't that a great story?' And I'm like, 'NO! You're not telling people that are you? That's a horrible story,'" Pete joked in his comedy special. "Is this girl alive? I have to find her and pay her off now!"
3 Pete's Fireman Gear Joke
"What's cool about your dad dying in 9/11 is that I get all this fireman gear. So, whenever I smoke weed in New York City I wear it," Pete joked on stage, after claiming that he has a lot of jokes about his father passing away.
2 Pete Davidson's Joke About Justin Bieber's Dad
During The Comedy Central Roast Of Justin Bieber, Pete Davidson said, "Justin, you know, I lost my dad on 9/11. And I always regretted growing up without a dad... until I met your dad, Justin. Now I'm glad mine's dead."
1 What Pete Said About Making King Of Staten Island
Pete took a more heartfelt approach to dealing with his father's death when he made The King Of Staten Island With Judd Apatow. During an interview with Sky News, Pete explained why he did this: "As someone who's open with struggles and issues, I think I'm always learning and growing. Making this film allowed me to grow more as a person."
He continued by saying, "One of the main reasons why I wanted to make this movie and tell this story was because I wanted this chapter in my life to be closed. Not forgotten, but I wanted to be able to move on and show that it's okay to have issues and it's okay to struggle and that you're not alone and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."
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