Here’s a surprising fact: Ruby Wax’s OBE was partly a recognition of her work with the charity Mind and her relentless campaigning for better mental health access in schools and workplaces. She even performed a one-woman show in Parliament, which is literally the most dangerous room in the country for a comedian. She got MPs to laugh about their own anxiety—which, let’s face it, is the only honest therapy they’ll ever get.
But let’s not pretend the British establishment didn’t squirm. Ruby Wax, an American who moved to the UK in the 1980s, was now telling the nation to “stop being so bloody British about your feelings.” She calls the OBE her “Get Out of Jail Free card” for being a mouthy Yank. The irony is delicious: the queen essentially gave a medal to a woman who spent decades mocking the monarchy’s emotional repression.
Ruby Wax OBE gets honourary doctorate | cambrian-news.co.uk
The Punchline
So what’s the moral of this story? Never underestimate the power of a funny person with a therapy degree. Ruby Wax turned her own meltdown into a national treasure—literally, since the OBE is a state asset. She proved that you can be loud, crass, and utterly ridiculous, and still get a nod from the palace. It’s like if your drunk uncle at a wedding suddenly became a life coach and then a duke.
Today, Ruby still tours with her shows, mixing stand-up comedy with genuine psychological advice. She’ll tell you that your brain is an “attachment disorder factory” and that meditation saved her life, all while making you snort coffee out your nose. And yes, she still has the OBE pin, probably tucked into a sock drawer next to a whoopee cushion. Because that’s the kind of honor that matters—one that laughs in the face of stiff collars and says, “Hey, it’s okay to be broken, just make it funny.”
So there you have it. Ruby Wax got an OBE because she weaponized laughter against the darkness. If you ask me, they should’ve given her a bigger medal—maybe one that comes with a free microphone and a lifetime supply of Xanax. But that’s just my humble, non-royal opinion.
