Topic: A serious discussion of what's funny... or not. How comedy has changed. - page 2. (Read 484 times)

You remind me of this short sketch talking about political correctness and being offended:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMoDt3nSHs&feature=youtu.be&t=213

He pretty much echos my feelings about the whole thing. Don't like what someone has to say? Then don't listen to them.

I think it is a good progress. I see it less as restricting people from expressing themselves. Instead, it could be signs of being aware how powerful words can be, both in (unintentionally) empowering/enforcing certain beliefs and how people can be hurt by the jokes. Personally, I am impressed and glad that there are still so much fun one can have without being a racist or misogynist.


I agree with this too. Jokes are now more about pointing out how things lack common sense, and usually public event/announcements are what gets joked about.

Things that are still okay: Things that are seemingly stupid/lack of judgement, culture/lifestyle/habits, politics.

Steve Carell recently said he didn’t think The Office would work today for the same reasons. Dukes of Hazzard, Roseanne, & even The Simpson’s Apu are victims of this. One of my favorite stand up routines of all time, Eddie Murphy Delerious, would no way be allowed today. I wonder where it will stop, or if this is how “ASS The Movie” came to be in the movie Idiocracy.

https://brobible.com/culture/article/steve-carell-no-reboot-office/

Yesterday, I watched a brief, curb-side youtube interview of Chris Kattan. In this video, he was asked about how comedy has changed. His response was something like " I couldn't get away with a lot of skits today what I did on SNL". It occurred to me he was right. Seems like we have become too sensitive. I remember Eddie Murphy, Richard Prior, and the most misogynistic Andrew Dice Clay for God's sake. I thought he was sort of funny, but even I cringed sometimes at his jokes. I don't cringe too easily.

I find it hard to imagine these comedians having the same success in this #Metoo movement. If the goofy cleanish Kattan thinks he could not do the same today, then I'm sure that 90% couldn't do it either. What does that say about us? Does that make us snowflakes or have we progressed? I think the most likely answer is somewhere in between.

These are the changes I have seen the most.

(1) Less misogyny: (I've used that term about 3 times in my life). I've seen that very few comedians make jokes about abuse towards women. I've got to be honest about this. I think that's a good thing. I never thought it was funny.

(2) More political: Most of the comedians and actors have a are hardcore democrats. There's a huge bias in pretty much all of the media.

(3) Racism. Less race-based jokes. Weird that no one had a problem with Robert Downy doing blackface in Tropic Thunder. I don't think it would fly today. There is, however, an increase in jokes about Florida. Maybe targetting cultures is still ok.

Not a blockbuster thread, but I thought I'd throw this out there.