Taboos And Sensitive Issues Of Comedy

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

Modern day television in household has become its own culture. Television holds a constant presence in American households and is forever changing, and visually keeps our attention. Television can be beneficial in the aspect that it has given viewers different attitudes by viewing different cultural backgrounds that can be presented on televisions. For example, this paper will be addressing the sitcom American Dad, American Dad is an adult animated sitcom, which focuses on a modern American family. The main character Stan Smith and his family who face at times core issues of a family. The comedy and farce overshadow the serious messages being conveyed. The stereotypical messages are often relatable in family households in an absurd way. American Dad is fantasying to watch because the visual elements and the real-world issues that are being addressed can heavily impact American society. American Dad depicts American family culture, because traditional families see norms being depicted on the show, it incorporates current trends, and society often depicts aspects from the

For example, Wong explains that the jokes that comedians offer “are dug painfully out of your own guts” (Para. 8). From this statement, it is clear that, to create jokes, comedians go through intense suffering. This depiction starkly differs from conventional views that regard comedians as happy and contented individuals. While reviewing this notion, a reader would pause and wonder why a comedian entertains people if the comedian is not happy. This inquiry would lead a person to conclude that, to create and deliver jokes, comedians make significant sacrifices for the sake of audiences. Such reflection would cause a reader to view a comedian as a vulnerable individual on whose suffering unwitting audiences thrive. A reader would thus ‘see’ that, although they may not be aware of this, people who constitute audiences for comedians are selfish and cruel. This realization is likely to strongly affect readers at an emotional level. Readers would be ‘frustrated’ with the apparently helpless status of comedians. Further, readers would be ‘angry’ at the people who unwittingly ‘help’ comedians to conceal intense internal suffering. Thanks to these potent emotional reactions, readers would gain added interest in Wong’s arguments. Readers would further scrutinize the article to investigate how society can fail to notice the troubled nature of comedians. While carrying

Don't we all have something in common? Well that's just how comedians have an effect to communicate a universal truth with their audience. Whether if its confusion, sickness, frustration we all have something that we can relate to and that is how comedians use this effect because we can relate to that feeling or subject. That's how a comedian can communicate a universal truth to us by using humor.

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.

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.

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

Many people feel that controversial topics, such as racism or anti-Semitism, should be regarded as off-limits when it comes to humor. These people argue that any joke about these topics is inappropriate and always should be punished, or, at the very least, condemned, and to a certain extent, I agree with

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

One show in particular, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, frequently uses comedic satire in its’ episodes. The program follows four unethical, lazy friends that own an unsuccessful bar outside Philadelphia. Due to the gang’s frequent premature judgments and twisted views, they often find themselves in troubling situations that only get worse before they begin to get better. Through the particular style of television this show uses, the viewer is able to laugh at how senseless its’ character’s actions are in order to highlight certain social issues. ‘The Gang Gets Racist’ episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia uses satire to criticize modern day racism as well as homophobia through the dysfunctional humor of its characters.

Ever since 1997, South Park has revolutionized the cable TV scene as a profane and obscene program that isn’t afraid to mock religious, political, and cultural topics and not get away with at least offending somebody. Throughout its twelve seasons, some of the most prominent events in pop culture have suffered the wrath of ridicule from the show’s creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and succeeded in making millions of Americans laugh until they cry. The creative genius behind these cultural and controversial statements has exalted the series to iconic status in our entertainment industry for its satirical voice in each episode. Throughout its ten years on air, South Park has broken multiple political,

Due to the resurgence of feminism in contemporary society, entertainment has evolved and comedies in particular have become more inclusive of women. There is a rise in television shows incorporating feminist ideology, and in those shows come new types of humor focused on female identities, experiences and values. Rather than laughing at women through the use of tired clichés, sitcom creators are inviting audiences to laugh with female characters. HBO’s comedy-drama Togetherness deviates from gendered comedic stereotypes and creates moments in which both men and women are funny. The show, created, written and produced by brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, explores humor through the unique relationship and complexities of the four main characters. At times, the main female characters, Michelle and Tina, may have stereotypical desires (for intimacy, motherhood etc.), but they themselves are far from stereotypical. Both Michelle and Tina reveal contradictions in their personalities that make them relatable and funny. Although the creators are men, Togetherness provides an honest portrayal of a modern female perspective— women can do whatever men do, but both are capable of failing. The flawed females of Togetherness navigate life in unconventional yet recognizable ways, providing audiences with laughter in the form of relief— unlike the female stereotypes found on the vast majority of other television shows.

It is not unseasonable to believe that because stereotypes are appearing so commonly in comedy, they will reinforce those stereotypes rather than help society rid itself from them. Extinguishing stereotypes is impossible. Researchers have determined that the creation of stereotypes is a natural function of the brain (Paul, par. 2). In attempt to make light of a problematic issues, comedians use stereotypes to denounce stereotypes. The first thing that we should understand is that comedy is comedy. This does not mean that it should not be taken seriously as frequently advised. Comedy should be embraced and takes seriously but not in the

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

Throughout history, film and television has always been a critical tool to spread awareness, deliver news, and give entertainment to audiences around the world. Since the 1940s, family households turned on news channels to be notified on the weather and the recent events that could be happening outside their daily lives. Along with news, motion pictures have been shedding light on war and bullying through narratives on screen. As these topics had been amazing back then, times change. There has been an ignorance seen towards discussions on racism, mental illnesses, the queer community, and so much more. These topics had rarely been seen throughout the history of cinema stretching to television and movie screens today. These themes are recognized as taboo and have often been pushed away in fear of offending any groups marginalized by these issues. In recent media, there are narratives that have