When does comedy cross the line?

[james wolf]

Ok, so this is a weird question but what comedy is deemed offensive? It is hard to make non-offensive comedy but i will share some ideas (not my best) with you:

Priest: We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of George Georgeson and in part of the celebration, his family has brought him some prezzies.

Wife: (Lays down present) Shall I unwrap it for you, you look a bit tired. (Unwraps iPad) Oh look! How generous of me! Do you like it? I even downloaded the being dead app, look. (The screen is black) Oh, must not be working.. (Atheism joke) Well, what do you think? OH my god I spent £400 on this and youre just giving me that blank expression! It's times like these I remember why I killed you!

later on.

Now that we are done celebrating George's life, lets burn him!

But yeah, is death touchy? It's natural but could be deemed offensive.

What about other things like:

9/11
peadophiles
rape?

You don't have to give a direct answer you can just give your own view on what is right and wrong in comedy, what do you find "crosses the lin" or goes too far.


(I didn't really know where to post it, it's not a debate so I assume it would be best suited here.)

[Korashk]

Comedy is a tricky business. I think a little bit of offensiveness is alright, but yea a few things do go to far. Rape jokes are just not funny, period. Making fun of 9/11 is just distasteful. Most recently there were many hurtful/offensive about the batman shootings. There is nothing funny about that whatsoever. I think the things that I listed and things close to those would be going "too far".
I disagree. Comedy is often a way that people use to cope with events. That shouldn't depend on whether or not somebody finds it in poor taste. Hell, if nobody finds your joke to be offensive, it's probably not a very good joke. I have to say, I've heard some great rape, 9/11, and Aurora theater shooting jokes.

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2012/9/4/8/enhanced-buzz-20871-1346762502-9.jpg

[StoneColdNicky]

This has been a big thing (or actually an ongoing minor thing really) in Australian media after a radio host made a joke about Nazis and they got some complaints. I'll try to find the article that said comedy is usually called offensive when it is about a sensitive topic, and isn't funny. The argument has been that if the joke had been funny, there would not have been complaints about it being offensive.

[Mob Boss]

I'm not sure. I think comedy is about being controversial and pushing the envelope to achieve that wow factor. As for more serious issues, if the comedians don't single people out, but rather aim their jokes at a group I don't really see the problem. A majority of comedians put their necks on the line, and actually poke fun at themselves most of the time. Comedy is usually offensive, and if it isn't, frankly, it isn't as entertaining.

[NotAvailable]

i love comedy very much with all it's kind and situation..

The only thing that i don't accept in comedy and i don't find it funny when it's about religions and god and all this stuff , i really can't tolerate making fun of religion or god .

[Gordo]

I don't know if comedy can go too far, but it depends on how you look at it. If someone is a professional comedian, they'll know exactly when they've gone too far. People won't attend their stand up routines or if it's on TV, they won't tune in.

Then there is the aspect of "too far" - what does that mean exactly?

Good comedy requires talent in how it's told and timing is harder than people think. Jon Stewart on the daily show has really good timing with his facial expressions and delivery and he'll pretty much make fun of everything and everyone.

It doesn't take as much talent to be funny when the material relies on swearing. It's much harder to be funny and be rated G or PG.

Someone mentioned that they don't like it when religion or god is made fun of and they're entitled to their opinion. Personally, I don't have a problem with it. If something is funny, it's funny. If it's out right offensive or an attack, then I don't think it's funny, I don't have to listen to it, so it's not a problem that some people like it.

Look at south park - they don't have many limits and they're really popular and trying to be offensive. I say good for them! And I wonder if the censors are asleep at the wheel. That show really cracks me up sometimes.

I need a nap or need to go back to bed or something. way too early to be up on a saturday.

[james wolf]

This has been a big thing (or actually an ongoing minor thing really) in Australian media after a radio host made a joke about Nazis and they got some complaints. I'll try to find the article that said comedy is usually called offensive when it is about a sensitive topic, and isn't funny. The argument has been that if the joke had been funny, there would not have been complaints about it being offensive.

Australia seems really tight on censorship, I was reading on Australian censors for adventure time (kids cartoon) and they basically censored anything that even remotely suggested sex.

[StoneColdNicky]

Here's an example of the articles I mentioned a while ago.

http://www.pedestrian.tv/arts-and-culture/news/triple-js-tom-and-alex-apologise-for-unfunny-holoc/84849.htm

I guess that Adventure Time did get well and truly censored because I've never even heard of it and I don't think it plays on TV here at all.

[Josie95]

I'm not sure. I think comedy is about being controversial and pushing the envelope to achieve that wow factor. As for more serious issues, if the comedians don't single people out, but rather aim their jokes at a group I don't really see the problem. A majority of comedians put their necks on the line, and actually poke fun at themselves most of the time. Comedy is usually offensive, and if it isn't, frankly, it isn't as entertaining.
I agree with this. A friend of mine always says there's nothing sacred in comedy. If the envelope isn't pushed at least a little then its probably boring. At some point everyone is going to come across something in comedy that they might find offensive. The whole point is not to take yourself and life so seriously.

[StoneColdNicky]

I completely agree with you Josie95. Comedy is just another artform. A friend of mine was telling me about how he was reading American Psycho on the train on his way to school each day, and one time had someone staring at him and when he said something, she said 'Isn't that book really racist?' Another time someone asked how he could be reading something so sexist. I'm glad it was him, because he would have had a snappy comeback, but if comedy, and every form of art and entertainment was too mandated by right and wrong, it would end up being boring, and nobody wants to be bored. I like comedy to challenge me.

And for the record, I only saw one episode of Louie, and it had a really good segment about 9/11 that I thought was kind of clever, and all the more interesting in that it was coming from a New Yorker's point of view.

[FreeFall]

I think it's more a matter of taste. Other than that, there's a line but it's very vague in my opinion. You either laugh or you don't, good comedians know when they've done something wrong, and the audience says it loud and clear.

[West Coast Sheriff]

I think racism

[Josie95]

I think racism
What if it's a minority comedian? I see minority comedians who spend half their standup routine making fun of race

[Aves]

I'm with Korashk. The only type of jokes I don't like are religion jokes.