Comedy / Offense

A few days ago, I made a joke on Facebook. One of my friends had some complaints, including that it was insensitive. Since I haven’t added a rant on here in over a month, I thought I’d talk about my point of view on the matter. First off, here’s the joke.

“Robin Williams is dead at the age of 63 from apparent suicide. Sources close to Mr. Williams say he found out about a possible gritty Mrs. Doubtfire reboot.”

My argument was that it was comedy. Humans have used comedy to deal with negative situations for a really long time. Have you ever watched someone trip, and you instinctively laugh? That’s a trait we’ve evolved. It helps us cope with unpleasant feelings. Plus, Robin Williams (and most comics) are/were advocates for free speech. We should be able to say whatever we want. There might be repercussions, but we still have that right. Just like you have the right to disagree, or call me out on it.

Now it is very possible that my joke wasn’t funny. I get that, and that’s fine. I don’t even consider it in my top 100. The point is that it was a joke, and not meant to be offensive. I want to be clear on one thing, real quickly. My friend and I had a constructive conversation with a back and forth, and mutual respect. I’m not saying he did anything wrong by confronting me on it. I want people to hold each other accountable for their actions and words.

Back to the rant. Honestly, what’s the difference between making a joke about pedophile priests and making a joke about someone dying? Is it insensitive? I can’t tell. I’ve been so detached from emotion for so long, I really can’t tell. A long time ago, someone said that my jokes were always at someone else’s expense. Yes. I agree. Though, it’s not just my jokes. Every joke is based on taking something to a hyperbolic conclusion. The duck crossing the street is mocking ducks. All those “what do you call…” jokes, are making a joke at the expense of whatever. Maybe it’s not the best thing in the world, but it’s how comedy works.

I’ve talked about “offense” briefly in the past, and there’s not much to say. My friend didn’t mention this, but I can imagine other’s might. Offense means nothing. It just means something hurt your feelings. I don’t care about that. I mean, I’d prefer to make you laugh, but if one of my jokes offends you, that’s not my problem. No joke will please everyone. Every joke has it’s fans and it’s detractors. Carrot Top has fans. I don’t get it either. I’m not trying to appeal to his audience. My style is to complain, and is negative in it’s general undertones. It’s dark. I (try) to make people think, or consider different concepts. I’m less of a comic, and more of a humorous philosopher. instead of being offended by something I say, how about you prove that I’m mistaken/misinformed/misunderstood the subject? Saying that you’re offended doesn’t get us anywhere. It’s like saying you have allergies. Well I’m not going to get rid of my cat for your delicate sensibilities.

My friend pointed out that even in Robin Williams’ most harsh jokes, he had an underlying kindness that was missing from my joke. I can concede that point.

Then he brought up the “too soon” aspect. My joke was the day he died. Does that really matter? How is a joke that’s funny in five, ten, twenty years, not funny now? Because our emotions are still tied to the subject matter? Doesn’t that make the tragedy less impactful and our reactions more… well, reactionary? Could you imagine if The Daily Show only made jokes about tragic events years after the fact? Sometimes, topical jokes have to be immediate. Jeff Ross has made a career out of that. As he says, quite often, “I only roast the ones I love”.

I wasn’t trying to diminish the heart felt loss Mr. Williams’ family and friends are suffering. While he wasn’t one of my favorite comics, I still respected his talent. Just because someone makes a joke about someone, doesn’t mean there is an inherent hatred or even dislike. Like Freud’s cigar, sometimes a joke is just… a joke.