‘Probably the only way to teach Americans about sex’

This research note presents preliminary findings from an exploratory study examining the pedagogical potential of stand-up comedy in the context of sex education. As a U.S.-born sex educator and stand-up comedian based in Portugal, I conducted qualitative audience surveys during comedy shows in central Texas in the summer of 2023 to explore perceptions of stand-up comedy’s role in teaching about sex and sexuality. Three prevalent themes emerged: (1) Comedy as non-threatening/more palatable sex education, (2) Comedy as conversation/stimulation for discourse, and (3) Comedy as sensitive/harmful terrain.