Bill Hicks: Done Too Soon

Humorists are often seen as insignificant contributors of society. People consider humorists no more than just “entertainers”, willing to make fun of anything in order to make a crowd laugh, however, has the audience ever contemplated why humorists are the some of the only people who are allowed to critique anything that crosses their mind without consequences? Alain de Botton, claims the vital role of humorist is, “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” I agree with Alain de Botton’s claims, that humorists do hold an important role in society, which is far more than to entertain. They break the ice on delicate topics, communicating the messages to society. Political cartoons and the Colbert

From the very beginning, Smith introduces her father’s favorite hobby; comedy. As it says, “my father had few enthusiasms, but he loved comedy” (1). She then goes on explaining the uniqueness of comedy, how it gave her father freedom and that their is no division of social status when it comes to comedy; comedy was and will always be true freedom. She informs the reader of several British comedians and comedy history, mentioning how they all had different styles. For example, one comedian would continuously make fun of himself, other would make fun of their culture, and social status. On the other hand, she also mentions that people do not have to be funny to go on stage. “In the world of comedy, if you are absolutely determined to stand on a stage for five minutes with a mike in your hand, someone in London will let you do it, if only once” (7).

Modern society allows humorists to touch upon offensive topics without receiving much criticism. As Alain de Botton claimed in his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, humorists’ role is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” De Botton’s argument proves legitimate. Many humorists, such as cartoonists and television hosts, decide to use their humor as a tool to prove an idea or express a belief that cannot be voiced candidly in public.

Many comedians have been talking a great deal about politics and the government as a way to spread a variety of messages to the community expressing how they feel about how things are going for America. Therefore many comedians have become more popular in this past election season and with Trump 's new presidency. Stephen Colbert an American comedian, television host, and author uses his spotlight in media as a way to attack President Trump and his administration within his comedy. Colbert uses Juvenalian satire and satirical techniques while discussing politics to reveal his opinions as a way to spread messages to society about the Trump Administration and uses his comedic platform to do so.

In Status Anxiety, author de Botton correctly claims that humorists are expected to not only entertain their audience, but to make statements about controversial events that may be too sensitive to say directly and causally present them in a way that is easy for the public to understand. This is demonstrated through various forms of media such as television shows and political cartoons.

Dave Chappelle was the king of comedy. He had his own show on Comedy Central, did many stand ups and guest starred in many SNL skits. His works were filled heavily with racial satire with the intent to attack and expose racism throughout America in a non-threatening way. Dave Chappelle’s masterful delivery and extreme horatian satirical techniques allow for top-shelf entertainment with an underlying, thought provoking message.

America is a culture that enjoys having some time away from the reality of political issues within society. Comedic entertainment has found ways to also inform its audience about important political statements that is used to “refer to any act or nonverbal form of communication that is intended to influence a decision to be made for or by a political party”( Wikipedia), or ideas through a comedic point of view. Comical news is what brings our attention with ease because listening to straight political debates can lead a person to not want to sit and become informed on latest political topics. The culture that society has developed into became accustomed to finding it better to have a laugh about serious news because through humor an audience

The Colbert Report is an American late night talk show, which is a news satire and comedic program. The show illustrates how the comedy and satire genre is important when it comes to informing people about political and controversial topics. The comedic element of the show makes the program entertaining and informative. In comparison to The Harvest of Shame this documentary that was used to inform the American people about a sever issue made people feel bad, it was depressing. The Colbert Report takes boring political issues and makes them interested, which appeals to younger adults. Many young adults do not pay attention to politics because it is boring or too difficult to understand. The show takes a political subject, simplifies it and makes it interesting. For example, in one episode he discusses the 2016 election and makes fun of a statement of Donald Trump, it’s not only funny, but informative. Stephen Colbert is always talking to the audience directly, which creates a better connect with the viewers. Shows like The Colbert Report bring people together to discuss important topics. The comedy and satire of the show is just a technique to reach more people and create a safe environment to discuss these sensitive topics. There are many talk shows that are comedic and satire because it makes the show self-reflexive. In conclusion, genre is a major factor when it comes to creating

Following the September 11th terrorist’s attacks, Bill Maher, host of the controversial late night television show Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, outraged an already shell-shocked America. During the show he attacked our military by saying “We have been the cowards lobbing cruise missiles from 2, 000 miles away. That’s cowardly” (Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher). He continued by essentially expressing respect for the hijackers, saying “Staying in the airplane when it hits the building, say what you want about it, [is] not cowardly” (Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher). Not surprisingly, Maher has been publicly ridiculed since making these statements. Two of the show’s sponsors pulled their advertising, and several local affiliates have taken the show off the air. The reaction to Maher’s statements has been swift: apologize, praise America and maybe you’ll get to keep your job.

In Alain de Botton’s book, Status Anxiety, he claims that a humorist’s purpose is “not merely to entertain, but to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Humorists have more leeway when discussing controversial topics, thus they serve a vital function in society; however, humorists also have other intentions such as entertaining their audiences and earning revenue.

Comedy entertains a lot of people now and days because they want to have a laugh for the day. People want be able to tell others who Jon Stewart is and explain what he does, king of like Kevin heart. I understand how people want to be bored and watch regular old news but other want to watch the news where it can be funny and not entertaining. My point of view of Jon is like why don’t people know of him and why is he not out. If I was interested on watching him I would watch the news every morning before school to go to school with a laugh.

Various television shows have pushed boundaries to create positive differences in social perception of minorities, but only few have had the power and influence to make a noteworthy impact on American culture. Television Comedy has been able to cleverly impact acceptance of American Culture boundaries for years on end. From the show “Good Times” all the way to “The Office”, comedy has been an effective way of creating positive perceptions and acceptance of all different kinds of views on our society. An easily countable number of academic texts give evidence to Black-watched, Black-targeted television narratives. (Marc, 1997). Racially directed comedy television shows have, in my opinion, have been one of the most prevalent types of television

From neuroscientists to comedians themselves, O’Hara litters the article with reliable experts to ensure the points made in the article are diverse and rooted in credibility. Without these resources, saying that “[c]omedy is more than just a pleasant way to pass an evening”(2) would be disregarded as a matter of opinion. By supplying each point with an array of examples, O’Hara manages to show the reader that many beside herself share her points. After planting a statement, O’Hara makes sure that she backs up her claims with plenty of evidence. When examining how comedy changes people’s views of certain minority groups, O’Hara lays out two different examples of real situations where this is put into affect. She touches on the homosexual community, disabled community, and even on a man who shared his experience from being a policeman “to expose nonsensical policies”(5). By both using multiple resources and sharing numerous examples, O’Hara successfully convinced the reader that comedy does indeed hold a very significant place in our

Just because all stand-up comedians don't need an underlying message doesn't mean specific topics getting discussed don't deserve an underlying message incorporated. Evidence, for example, Amy Schumer's "Football Town Nights", show that a comedian can be hilarious, all the while, remain in the realms of political correctness with an underlying message. She tackles an ageda on rape culture, generally a sensitive discussion, whilst giving a comedic undertone. In doing so, shape and value are given to her career as a commedian. Recently SNL tried to cover a very similar piece, "Teacher Trial", on satutory rape within the school system. They had previously attempted a similiar skit a year ago with massive backlash and negative feedback. Ultimately,

Today, comedy news shows are becoming progressively more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a positive consequence. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh. The article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” suggests some comedians “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108). Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner discuss how comedy can act as a coping mechanism. The authors conclude that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147). Iain Ellis writes about how political satirists do more than just deliver jokes, they use satire “to expose, ridicule, and–implicitly–call for action and change” (Ellis 152). Ellis contends that comedy can make a difference by its constant presence in our daily lives. Socrates, Plato, and even shows like South Park believe that humor is a way to persuade others. One of the most effective expressions of humor to affect social change has been the inclusion of satire. Although humor often provides people a welcome escape from the burdens of their daily lives, the satirical comedy deconstructs social issues in various ways as a means to persuade the