This topic/ article can be an analysis of the history of comedy and how it has progressed over the years in regards to how society responds to certain jokes and comments made by comics. Recently, many comedians and others in the public eye, have come out with public apologies after a joke or statement has made its away across the media/ Internet (Darren Criss, Jamie Foxx, etc.) These apologies are most likely not genuine, but issued and advised by their managing teams. Recently, Jack Black and other comedians have commented on this issue, even posing the question: has society become too sensitive? Additionally, Amy Schumer made a joke about race and fired back at critics, defending herself and comedy. This article can also branch out and predict what comedy will become if apologies continue to be issued and if sensitivity triumphs over comedy.
I think comedians/comedy hide behind such offensiveness for the sake of a so-called joke even when there really is no joke to be had on the subject (genocide, rape, etc.). It's really just laziness and attention-seeking at its core because all it does is dismiss real-life concerns without adding anything new to the subject. Comedy should definitely have more sensitivity in its approach and limits or otherwise no one would ever be held accountable for trivializing and exploiting people's pain and suffering as slapstick entertainment for the masses. And of course since these comedians probably never experienced the issues they make fun of, it would only be easy for them to claim over-sensitivity since they're not the ones offended. – dsoumilas9 years ago
I used to think that there was a fine line, that everyone just knew when something was okay because of cultural norms. But those lines are blurred all the time now with several cultures existing together in the same spaces and places, so it can be harder to pinpoint. One example that comes to mind is the roast of Justin Bieber. All of the comments were meant to attack the other people present, but one speaker in particular went too far compared to the others - noticeably so based on the reaction of others around her. But did she stop her piece she had prepared? Of course not. The purpose of the roast is to insult other people, so that's what she did. Is talking about abortions too much when you are speaking about them directly to a person, saying they shouldn't have been born? Perhaps it is, seeing as how the reaction from people was negative after her coat-hanger comment. Perhaps it isn't, because she deemed it okay herself before this all happened. – kathleensumpton9 years ago