A lot of ink & pixels is given to the question of what is or is not an appropriate topic for humor. Collin Williams, in an interview with Rachel Jensen of Slugmag.com (9/13/2017), makes a few points that I’ve made here, including selective outrage, punching down, laughing with versus at, and the importance of doing your research.
Some people are always outraged
There is an idea that one can always find fault with humor, if one is looking for it. It’s inherent in every theory of humorous modes, humorous or play spaces, carnivals, etc. – even the Elaboration Likelihood Model. The idea is that if one isn’t in the mood to receive humor, one will miss it. If one overanalyzes it, one won’t “get it.”
Some people walk in expecting to have a good time, and then are subsequently triggered when the comic hits a particular topic. This is the sentiment that Williams expresses.
You will still get plenty of people that will walk out that will say there are things that shouldn’t be joked about. I think we that now hear that on an almost weekly basis.
These people might claim they were taken out of a play mode by the material, or some other element of the joke. But we should also recognize that there’s a difference in intent in jokes, between jokes that intend to shock versus those that address an issue, between laughing with and laughing at, as well as between victims and butts.
Punching down versus joking about
If you laugh at someone who is both the one harmed by the joke (it’s victim) and the one responsible for their own treatment (the butt), then you are punching down, and nowadays, it’s frowned on. Williams expresses this sentiment:
I realized that I can’t make a good honest joke off of someone else’s trauma.
He further addresses the distinction between victims and butts, dick jokes versus sexual jokes. Dick jokes are about shock, usually through the use of a taboo word, sexual jokes attempt to address some issue in a meaningful way. The confusion really comes in when you use a taboo word when addressing the issue – is it more dick or more sexual? Williams parses through this in terms of jokes about trauma.
Is this something where you’re attacking a victim? Or are you expressing your own pain, your own emotions, or your own thoughts on an issue? Just because you are talking about something doesn’t mean it’s wrong, even if it’s a controversial topic.
If you’re making fun of someone’s trauma, that’s a dick joke (and a dick move). If you’re expressing your thoughts in a meaningful way, perhaps there’s more there, and audiences do have an obligation to at least understand the joke on its own terms before they rush to condemn it. But most won’t take the time.
Do your research
Williams advises people to always research a comedy show.
A lot of people don’t do research before going to a comedy show. They just go. [It’s] equivalent to just showing up to a movie theater and buying a random movie ticket, then being angry that Quentin Tarantino has way more violence than A Bee Movie.
It just makes sense that if you’re not prepared to hear certain things, you shouldn’t go to a show at random. I don’t eat red meat, so I don’t walk into steak houses, instead I read menus in advance online (or on the door). However, there are those who believe that everyone should cater to their personal preferences – or worse, that their personal preferences are the norm. It’s the height of hubris.
Summary
Yes, some will always be outraged and/or triggered. However, a comic can best work against this by thinking their jokes through and not punching down, trying to have something meaningful to say, not just to shock people. It won’t always work, but it’s better than the alternative. But beyond that, most comedians make no secret about who they are onstage and what they do, if you’re paying attention. Listen to their stuff, watch some clips online and make sure it’s really for you.
Questions? Comments? Thoughts? Additions?
