How Far is too Far in Comedy?
Comedian Jimmy Carr stands before his audience and gives what sounds like a public service announcement after one of his jokes. He tells the audience that at the end of the show, there will be a collection of donations for abused children. He implores the audience to make contributions before they leave, in hopes that if they raise just enough money for these children, they’ll be able to buy their silence.
When it comes to juggling dark humor and political correctness in comedy, there have been mixed opinions about how to approach unsavory subject matters. Some say leave it alone and others think that all topics should be a free for all. Comedian Steve Harvey believes that political correctness has killed comedy, but many critics argue that this so-called “PC culture” (politically correct culture) is actually a socially progressive approach to comedy. The main issue that some comedians have with political correctness is that it infringes on their right to free speech. This is a pretty weak argument when you consider that hate speech is also free speech, so not everything one thinks should be articulated, especially if it is deeply and unequivocally offensive.
Some comedians say that this tendency to be offended is necessarily the problem with the audience, not the crude jokes they deliver. Audiences are thought to be far too sensitive these days, and they are sensitive but for good reason. People are now more mindful of how their words and actions may affect certain groups of people. Because there has been some degree of social progress and ideological change in the last ten to twenty years, certain jokes that were acceptable in the 80s and 90s would be deemed inappropriate today. This low tolerance for harmful content is an important indicator of societal progress, as people are now more willing to hold others accountable for their missteps. If a White South African comedian is currently receiving positive reactions to pro-segregation jokes resurrected from the Apartheid era, that would communicate little societal and political change in South Africa today.
An audience that boos a comedian off the stage should not be labeled overly sensitive, and comedians should not blame the audience for the failure of unacceptable jokes. Some “jokes” are simply not funny. Comedians must learn how to deal with criticism and improve their material, instead of complaining about the audience when it is clear that the comedian is in the wrong. Why should people put up with insufferable comments that comedians want to call jokes, just because their humor has not evolved? Sure, people should take a joke on the chin when it is called for, but they are not obligated to support every intolerable remark a comedian wants to make in the name of humor. Moreover, we would be reminisced to believe that comedians do not know which jokes go too far, to the point of insult, when they sit down to write their material.
Nonetheless, many comedians still feel that their comedy is being restricted by PC culture. Jerry Seinfeld said that he refuses to play on college campuses because students are far too sensitive about political correctness. Empirically, millennials do tend to be less tolerant of offensive material, and this is largely due to the social politics of the time in which they grew up, and the “woke movement” of the past couple of years in which many are immersed. To narrow this down, liberal millennials are the ones singled out as PC culture becomes more politicized, and liberals are blamed for ruining comedy for those who desire to press delicate issues. Bill Maher says that once he funneled more conservatives into his predominately liberal audience, he started having more fun on his show and getting a better reaction from the crowd. It is no surprise liberals take problem with distasteful micro-aggressions disguised as jokes, because it is known that they possess more progressive beliefs that make them less tolerant of offensive remarks. While this is applaudable in daily life, it does strive to police comedy more strictly, which can at times detract from the fun of the art.
There should be space for off-beat jokes in comedy once they are well-thought out, properly set-up, well-delivered, and not just blatantly offensive, because there are benefits to joking about taboo topics. Comedy can be therapeutic for comedians who wish to overcome personal challenges by trivializing them in some way, lessening their power to affect the comedian or audience members coping with the same struggle. Comedian Harper Rose incorporates her sexual assault experience into her material as a way to help her heal. Comedy also tackles pressing issues and illuminates them in a dramatic, light-hearted or relatable way. Sarah Amy Harvard is a stand-up comedian who uses humor to confront and share her daily challenges with being a half-Japanese, half-Moroccan Muslim woman in America.
Comedians can talk about touchy subjects like homosexuality, race, religion, gender, disabilities, death, pedophilia, etc. as long as it is done cleverly and appropriately. That Jimmy Carr joke about abused children referenced at the beginning of this piece was funny when Carr delivered it live because he set it up in a way that was inoffensive and clearly comedic instead of malicious. Once you familiarize yourself with a comedian, their style, and their moral character, it is easier to understand whether their intent is to hurt or not. A Dave Chappelle, Anthony Jeselnik, or Sacha Baron Cohen could get away with politically incorrect content because they have established themselves to be hilariously insensitive comics in a way that is not brazenly offensive or malicious. There is a very fine line between humor and bigotry, and it is up to the comedian to remain on the side of the former.
It is definitely possible to not cross that line because there are many successful PC comedians like Brian Regan who are funny and who sell out shows and have massive followings. But for those whose desire it is to joke about taboo topics, they are capable of doing so in a respectful manner. According to Jimmy Carr, comedians can get a free pass for certain subject matters if the person is involved in that subject matter or directly affected by it. He gave the example that if you’re a gay person you can joke about homosexuality, if you’re a disabled person you can joke about disabilities, and if you are a person of color you can joke about race. Even if you are not a part of the group, making fun of yourself in that context, or insinuating that you may be a part of that group could actually work when you want to make an off-beat joke. That’s what Danielle Sloss did in this clip when he joked about homosexuality, questioning his own sexuality in the process.
Further, if the comedian is not involved in that subject matter, there is still room for them to joke about certain topics. Bill Burr’s recent SNL monologue addressed how White women shifted the focus of the “woke movement” from people of color to themselves. Burr is neither a woman nor a person of color, but he was still able to effectively deliver a comedic critique of one gendered group’s effect on another set of racial groups. The monologue was pretty successful according to the positive feedback the YouTube video received in the comment section, and the video’s likes-to-dislikes ratio (225k:8.8k).
Ultimately, vitriolic jokes are considered lazy jokes. The comedians do not make an effort to craft a meaningfully nuanced or witty joke that creatively touches on the subject matter without outright offending people, or saying outrageous things that rely on the absurdity of the joke to do the heavy lifting. Despite the nasty few, comedy is a good place to escape the rigidity of our reasonably sensitive world. If you can laugh at your problems, you are comfortable enough to deal with them. But it is never okay for people to intentionally insult marginalized groups or abuse delicate situations.
Dark humor and edgy jokes are great when done properly, and you know it is done properly if it does not leave an unsavory taste in your mouth. Comedy is not always clean and innocent, and that’s the way some people like it. A good comedian knows how far to take a joke, and the ones who do not should be held accountable. In lieu of the recent “cancel culture” phenomenon, the landscape of politically correct comedy has expanded and continues to do so as comedians, as individuals, become more mindful of social issues, and more afraid that their careers could end with one bad joke. PC culture is not killing comedy. It’s forcing comedians to be more creative and produce more inclusive environments that strive to inform society of the values it must uphold, and the rhetoric it should not tolerate.
