Humor can be cruel. - Democratic Underground

Philosoraptor

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Sat Sep-01-07 05:50 AM
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Humor can be cruel.

Sometimes cruelty seems to be the whole point of humor, especially these days. The things people find funny are always changing, but people always find humor in every situation, even when it doesn't seem appropriate.

Disgraced senator craig has ignited a firestorm of sick jokes that will be with us for a long time, maybe even forever, and not everyone finds the jokes funny, such is the nature of humor, for good or bad.

I'm a fan of South Park, even though it does offend me on occasion. I also love Family Guy and American Dad and the Simpsons and the other adult oriented t.v. cartoons, but there are gags on them that sometimes offend me, particularly the ones about disabled people. I remember when jokes about disabilities were forbidden, and I remember when there were NO jokes about Jesus Christ.

Jay Leno still cracks sex jokes about Bill Clinton all these years later, mark foley still generates gags, any politician caught with his pants down is subject to being joke fodder.

I have a friend in the publishing business whom I write gags for, he is gay, and much of the humor he publishes is gay humor, so I try to write some gay and lesbian gags, many of which he has published, and I'm not gay. So I am always nervous about submitting gay humor for fear of offending rather than amusing. But he tells me that my gay gags are well received, and selling briskly.

My client is also an atheist, and has quite a bit of atheist humor, which of course many people find offensive, some religious people have no tolerance for religious humor, which almost always offends them.

The word 'colored' is now considered offensive where once it was considered an improvement over another famous word, 'black' is now the accepted word. Some find the term 'African-American' offensive. The word 'queer' is now accepted where once it was an insult. 'Crippled' was replaced by 'handicapped', which was replaced by 'disabled', which some find offensive. There is always going to be someone offended by something.

What people find funny is always changing, as is our language and culture, and we learn as we go how to amuse or offend. I'm the kind of a guy who doesn't like to offend anyone intentionally, unless they are a republican asshole deserving of it. I'd rather make someone laugh than pissed off, its a fine line sometimes.

I don't really have much of a point here, except to say that humor is a fascinating thing to observe. Over the last few decades humor has become rougher, tougher, more hard edged, and the trend in comedy movies these days is to make sophomoric, stupid movies that appeal to 14 year old boys.

I've gotten in trouble making jokes about fat folks, and I am one, so I try to be more careful, I have little friends, so I no longer make little people jokes. If I tell a joke that offends a friend, I want that person to tell me, and I won't do it again, I'd rather keep a friend than lose one trying to be funny and bombing.

I like funny, but sometimes funny can be cruel.