Amy Poehler: ‘Comedy Has Saved My Life Many Times’

Amy Poehler got earnest about her love for comedy while accepting an honor at the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards.

“There’s no greater joy for me than laughing at people who I love — laughing with them and at them, both! And them laughing with me,” Poehler said on stage at the ceremony, which took place on Thursday at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. “Comedy, in many ways, has saved my life many times.”

“Saturday Night Live” star Marcello Hernández presented Poehler with the award, praising her comedic brilliance and calling her a “baller” and a “gift.” Poehler, in turn, said Hernández was a prime example of why she loves being a comedian: “Because of the people I get to meet and who I get to work with.”

Poehler, who is best known for her work on “SNL,” “Parks and Recreation” and, more recently, her podcast “Good Hang,” accepted the award for innovation in comedy. She joined fellow honorees Rosalía in the music category, Martin McDonagh (film), the Savannah Bananas (sports), Matthieu Blazy (fashion), Marlon James (literature) and Demis Hassabis (technology). Other A-listers on hand at the glitzy event as presenters included Dua Lipa, A$AP Rocky, Patti Smith and Seth Meyers.

In her speech, Poehler also spoke about the importance of escapism in art.

“I was thinking about the way in which we often insist on being in the present moment. There’s a lot of discussion about remembering where you are, and seeing where your feet are, and staying exactly where you’re supposed to be: present,” Poehler said. “A lot of people in this room help us get away from where we are. A lot of people in this room transport us. I think where we are isn’t often very good. We don’t always want to be feeling what we’re feeling. We don’t always want to be present with what we have going on in our lives.”

She added, “The storytellers here and the artists here have certainly transported me. They’ve taken me to the future, to the past. They’ve taken me right next door. They let me ride on their wings and their talent. If ‘Good Hang’ or any of the stuff I’ve ever done made anybody else feel that way, I am very, very grateful.”