Sep 3, 2026 · 58 min
Comedian reclaims abuse story through dark humor and survivor solidarity
‘Untouchable’ with Alaina Bamfield
The episode connects one survivor’s creative reclamation of trauma with a broader warning about inequity across college sports.
- 1Elena Bamfield turns her experience of abuse by Larry Nassar into comedy while building material beyond that story.
- 2The conversation examines dark humor’s ethics, survivor solidarity, and the difference between reclaiming pain and punching down.
- 3A closing commentary argues that NCAA sports outside football and men’s basketball face structural threats requiring transparency and investment.
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Bamfield explains how survivor solidarity and reclaiming her own narrative shaped the dark humor in Untouchable.
The brief
Elena Bamfield discusses turning her experience of abuse by Larry Nassar into Untouchable, a comedy special built around dark humor and personal reclamation.
Bamfield traces her path from cheerleading and wrestling to stand-up, explaining how guilt, uncertainty, and survivor support shaped her decision to speak publicly.
The interview tests the ethics of dark comedy: reclaiming one’s own story can create solidarity, while comedy spaces that reward punching down remain off-limits.
Bamfield released Untouchable free on YouTube, using the special to grow an audience and pursue opportunities beyond the story that first brought her to comedy.
The episode closes with a warning that NCAA economics favor football and men’s basketball, leaving other sports vulnerable without transparency and broader investment.