Can you laugh at “offensive” comedy?

julian

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,201
I’m not asking you if you find things that are funny to you already, funny. That would be a dumb question because it delivers a very obvious answer (yes! I find things that I find funny, funny!).

I’m asking you, at what point, is it not funny?

If anyone in the room other than you is offended? If 50% of the room was offended? If it crossed a certain opinion you had, and on which subject?
It’s very difficult to state where the line might be. Often it’s the delivery, or the audience or some other factor than merely the words spoken that convey the intent of the joke.

Some people have very clear lines. To each their own, but saying, “you can never joke about x or y” is too far for me. I’ve seen comedians do sets about their personal experiences with cancer and rape and they were great. Sometimes jokes which are offensive or just uncomfortable to some are coping mechanisms for others.

It’s all about context and intent.
 

kinoki

Member
Oct 28, 2017
999
Context. And yes. I like crudeness and vulgarity. Being able to laugh at/with complicated things is a strength. There is a line of song from Leonard Cohen that goes “Jesus taken serious by many / Jesus taken joyous by a few” and that applies to my view on humour. Too many people take humour far too seriously.
 

OnPorpoise

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,115
There can be different layers to why a joke is funny, it can be as simple as the subject matter being so wrong it tips into the point of absurdity, which by itself can be funny.
 

Crackhead_Bob

Banned
Nov 1, 2017
1,865
Serious question. What is the difference between liberal politically incorrect humor and conservative politically incorrect humor? Many here came of age during Howard Stern, Married... With Children, and Lewis Black, so it's not like were bereft of laughing in spite of ourselves.
 
Oct 28, 2017
2,132
I can laugh at anything. If it's funny it's funny.

I can remember once in school when we were in class and a mate of mine - whose grandad was ill - got a phone call during class. The teacher allowed him to answer and he was told by his mum that his grandad had passed away. The class obviously went quiet, everyone was looking at him, I could see he was uncomfortable so I blurted out "Well, it could be worse..." now all eyes are on me. "You could have found out he was a paedophile..." Gasps from everyone. If looks could kill I'd've been dead five times over. But the friend who just received the bad news had the biggest grin on his face and even gave a little chuckle, obviously he called me a cunt but he knew what I was trying to do and was thankful for it.
 

Kieli

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Oct 28, 2017
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You can say whatever you want to whomever you want. You just better be prepared to face the consequences.
 

Tickling

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
961
All jokes offend someone. Comedians know this and depending how far they go they will know how much it will cost them. I have laughed at some really inappropriate jokes as I have a sick sense of humour. I don’t think jokes should be banned as life would be a more boring place then and comedians are always running the line on too offensive and usually I think the jokes close to the line the funniest.
 

Kitsunebaby

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,008
Annapolis, Maryland
Absolutely. I don't think there's a single subject I couldn't find funny, with the right joke. Even as a victim of childhood sexual abuse, I've laughed at molestation jokes. Dark comedy can be very therapeutic, in my opinion.
 

Trickster

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,534
Assuming the joke is good and there's no ill intend from the person telling the joke, then yes no problem
 

ashep

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Oct 25, 2017
1,703
Nope, people need to stop saying racist, bigoted, problematic stuff under the guise of "but it's just jokes!". We let it go far too long and heralded people who said shocking things and now it's treated as just jokes when in reality some things are just laughing at things people have to live every day or things that are too insipid to make light of.
Then you agree with me.

Saying something is a joke does not mean it is automatically okay to say.



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Absolutely not. There is literally no difference in saying something along the lines of "trans people are gross" with a straight face than saying it in a way that might make people laugh.
Very few, if any people in this thread are saying it’s ok to say literally any string of offensive words as long as you follow it by saying “lol just a joke”.
 

Skade

Member
Oct 28, 2017
6,117
I can laugh at absolutely anything as long as it's well done and legit funny.

And it "should" be the case of everyone. I pity those who can't, even if i can understand why.
 
Nov 1, 2017
504
I can, but I guess I have a limit, and there is a guy at work that crosses it. He was joking about a video he'd seen where a protestor was killed by a police fire hose. That was a real person who died, that's just not funny even if you try to cast it as slapstick. Of course there a political undercurrent to as he's a conservative and doesn't like protestors. I was mad about it all day. Had to hold my tongue to keep from losing my job. He also put a white canvas bag in his head and said "We should start our own Klan." That wasn't funny either.
 

Emperor Ham

Banned
Feb 12, 2018
654
Yes. I don't get get offended by jokes, cause their jokes even if its mean as fuck.

Lots of era members (most likely American) have a stick up their arses, thinking certain topics can't be joked about. Looking at you chappelle and Gervais threads.
 

Inkblots

Member
Oct 25, 2017
657
Tokyo
I laugh at funny things.

This set is offensive to pretty much all people as no one is left out, but it cracks me up.

...there's no premise to her jokes. She has no structure. She's just shouting random shit for shock value. This is fucking boring and cringey. It would be offensive to me if I was a comedian.
 
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sora87

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,333
Sure. I don't think I've ever been offended by a joke because i know it's just that, a joke.
 

Angie

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Nov 20, 2017
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I had a friend (on another website) that used to write comedy, and he used to tell me.
"There is literally nothing that he can joke about, that wont make at least one person offended by it."
 

Leek

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
732
It's harder to defend something if it's not funny, because it'll just come across as being just an insult. But there isn't a single subject I'd say someone can't joke about, and if it's funny I'll laugh at it. If it's not I'll just get on with my life, even if it's at my expense.
 

Kain

One Winged Slayer
The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
4,355
Up until today I still haven't seen a line, so yeah, I laugh. In some cases the darker the better.
 
Oct 27, 2017
2,255
I don't understand the goal of this thread. I mean, I understand what OP is going for, but the way the question is framed all the answers are basically "I like what is funny/I do not like what isn't funny".

I mean, humor is subjective, but being a veiled asshole is pretty straight forward. There's a very tangible difference. Going to a comedy club and listening to a guy go out on a limb to make an audience laugh is far different from listening to the guy at work who thinks his war chest of unsolicited dead baby jokes are a laugh riot.

That said, too many people can't take a joke. When you go to a comedy club, expect to hear something offensive. I think it's quite hypocritical to hear stories of the person who likes comic 'A' who is known for saying offensive shit that gets butthurt when the offensive jokes aim at their lifestyle. "I liked when this guy was joking about niggers and queers but his religious jokes go too far!"
 

HazySaiyan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,081
West Yorkshire, UK
Absolutely, I don’t think any topic is off limits, if it’s funny it’s funny. I also think it’s interesting to see comedians try and push back against societal norms and acceptable boundaries, making someone squirm and think “is it ok for me to laugh at that?” but ultimately getting them to is an art in itself IMO.

What I can’t be bothered with are people like Ricky Gervais who just say some dumb shit and go “are you offended? Does that offend you yeah?” The whole point of comedy is to make people laugh not to upset them, but I don’t find it offensive I just find it dull and kind of sad.
 

Deleted member 8861

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Oct 26, 2017
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Bigoted stuff? Naw, unless it's deliberately a very fucked up thing to say (usually to highlight and criticize something).
 

PlanetSmasher

Member
Oct 25, 2017
59,966
Jokes that are designed specifically to get a rise out of people? No. I don't laugh at jokes like that.

Comedy that punches up is great. There is absolutely no value to comedy that punches down.
 

travisbickle

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,811
He also put a white canvas bag in his head and said "We should start our own Klan." That wasn't funny either.
This sounds funny.

As for the topic, it’s a difficult subject but it’s not helped by removing jokes from their context within a show/movie/stand-up routine and allowing outsiders judge their meaning or offensiveness.

I remember Frankie Boyle asking how many people actually care about comedy. He mentioned that The Office (UK) had around 2-3 million people watching it. That’s probably the largest “alternative comedy” show on british tv. Alternative as in not just a joke with a punchline that your Gran can understand. Yet we regularly gauge the opinions of the “nation” when we create headline articles about one line from a Frankie Boyle hour-long routine.
 

Snormy

The Meanest
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Oct 25, 2017
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Morizora's Forest
I can laugh but I can also be offended if appropriate at the same time. Of course, not all jokes are funny, when it isn't funny but it is offensive and you're not really supposed to be telling jokes at that time then... yeah.

Humour might be well intended but it isn't always welcome at all times. If you're telling jokes no one wants to hear it doesn't matter if you're forcing them to laugh.
 

CrazyAndy

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Oct 27, 2017
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I don't care about the topic and I never get offended, you can make fun of anything as long as it's done well. Nothing is off-limits.
 

Deleted member 15326

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Oct 27, 2017
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Funny thing is I'm pretty sure I know some jokes that would offend or piss off the "nothing offends me" crowd lol
 

Stiler

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Oct 29, 2017
6,659
My favorite comedian of all time is George Carlin, so yes I can, at the same time he tended to have a message and reason to jokes that some people might consider offensive.