Are there any jokes that should be banned?

[Michael Hardner]

5 hours ago, Perspektiv said:

1. If more people respected that notion, comedians would still be pushing envelopes vs trying to sound the same.

2. One side is given a megaphone.

1. I don't think you can say that for sure.  A lot of us just think it's not funny to make fun of trans people, gays and so on.
2. Or maybe just people have moved on from those kind of jokes.  Do you think people don't make racist jokes on stage anymore is because they're afraid to ?  That people are dying for that humour ?  I don't think so.

[Perspektiv]

51 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

A lot of us just think it's not funny to make fun of trans people, gays and so on.

I would disagree. Trans jokes in proper context to me, are funny. 

Same with gay jokes. Beauty of comedy. Its subjective. 

I think if someone can't make fun of themselves, they shouldn't be assessing what is or isn't funny. 

This "its only funny if I approve of it" entitlement, is precisely why so many turn out to Chapelle's shows. 

Many are also sick and tired of being told what is funny or not.

A Chapelle show ticket could get you grilled for how disgusting that it is, yet a seedy web search history is a ok. 

58 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

Or maybe just people have moved on from those kind of jokes.

Again, Chapelle's shows popularity on Netflix, tells me they have not.

I just like him, find humor in the predicament in being stuck in the wrong body. I found it hilarious when he illustrated this, by having you imagining his black self being Chinese and stuck in a black man's body.

"But this is how I feel inside!" with the perfect Chinese accent had me in stitches. 

Many Chinese people were in the crowd, and nobody from this demographic felt like the world stopped from the playful jab.

He's transphobic, why isn't he racist too?

Many trans people can poke fun of themselves. Again, if one cannot, its not my job to coddle them. Certainly shouldn't be a comedians.

I have laughed at so many black jokes, Canadian jokes and men jokes and am doing just fine. 

Some people just love comedy and appreciate an artform where artists are unafraid to experiment.

1 hour ago, Michael Hardner said:

Do you think people don't make racist jokes on stage anymore

You clearly haven't seen Andrew Schultz.

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, Perspektiv said:

 

1.This "its only funny if I approve of it" entitlement, is precisely why so many turn out to Chapelle's shows. Many are also sick and tired of being told what is funny or not.

2. You clearly haven't seen Andrew Schultz.

1. You keep saying that this is the root cause.  We've covered that.  Let's move on.  I don't really agree.
2. No.  I have seen Theo Von though.  He's not PC at all but hilarious.  

[Perspektiv]

22 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

He's not PC at all but hilarious.  

Well Shultz makes gay, trans, black jokes and so on, and is white. 

[Michael Hardner]

14 minutes ago, Perspektiv said:

Well Shultz makes gay, trans, black jokes and so on, and is white. 

You didn't say he was hilarious.  I did say Theo is.  Why should I care about his colour.

[Perspektiv]

37 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

You didn't say he was hilarious

He is. One of the best in crowd work that I have seen. On par with crowd work legends like DL Hughley, Russell Peters and so on. 

[Perspektiv]

Patrice O'Neal had underrated crowd work. 

[OftenWrong]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:53 AM, Aristides said:

It's only a joke if it is funny. If it is funny, anything goes.

Humour is about irony, not insults.

Says you, dick-head...

[Perspektiv]

My favorite insult comic was Lisa Lampenelli.

She honestly stopped doing comedy at the perfect time.

She understood comedy. She made gay jokes, black, white, whatever.

More importantly, she got away with it as didn't look like she would have such a potty mouth. Plus, made fun of herself more than any others.

[TreeBeard]

On 3/10/2023 at 2:15 AM, Perspektiv said:

However, it seems that being too offensive could have you barred from comedy shows, as pressure can be applied by activists to have your act shut down.

That’s up to whatever private entity is booking the acts.  If they don’t want someone, for whatever reason, shouldn’t they be allowed to not book the act?

[Perspektiv]

1 hour ago, TreeBeard said:

for whatever reason, shouldn’t they be allowed to not book the act?

Its a business. They will want an act that sells out shows. 

Should they choose not to host an act, that's one thing.

If demand is high, but the threat brought to them by activists isn't worth the reward, that's a whole other thing. 

You then set a precedent, in that envelope pushing comedians will be petrified to go against anyone who can get them canceled.

Caution and humor don't go together. Art is meant to have its boundaries pushed.