Ed Helms, the actor and comedian known for The Office and The Hangover, delivered a commencement address at the University of Virginia during a particularly fraught moment in the school's history. Rolling Stone magazine had recently published a now-discredited article about an alleged sexual assault at UVA, throwing the campus community into turmoil and unfairly defining the university in the national conversation. Helms addressed this directly: 'Rolling Stone tried to define you this year. As a result, not only was this community thrown deep into turmoil, but the incredibly important struggle to address sexual violence on campuses nationwide was suddenly more confusing than ever and needlessly set back.' He used this painful episode to make a broader point about the danger of allowing external forces — media, employers, first impressions — to define who you are. The brevity of the advice ('Never let others define you. Define yourselves.') gave it the force of a command, and Helms' willingness to tackle the most sensitive topic facing the university showed that his comedy could coexist with genuine moral courage.