Comments on: Comedians and Society

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:36:15 +0000

Greg I hope you can see that Louis CK is one of those rare comedians who act as the king’s fool. Able to criticise with humor. Also I was right, he wasn’t commenting on that guy Tosh’s rape jokes. Try and catch more of Louis CK on youtube.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 20:21:47 +0000

podunkmo, interesting.

By: podunkmo

podunkmo — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 19:50:28 +0000

Just watch last night’s Daily Show. Very funny.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/mon-july-16-2012-louis-c-k-

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 16:28:59 +0000

“…put a smile on my face.”

And thus, the patriarchy!

” most obvious set-ups leading to the laziest punch lines.”

Ooops, I just did that, didn’t I.

By: I. Snarlalot

I. Snarlalot — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 15:45:08 +0000

Humor can be powerful stuff, but I tend to balk at the notion that it has to be about power relationships.

Take puns.

Then there’s P. G. Wodehouse. Out of nowhere he could drop in a very subtle turn of phrase that can, for seemingly mysterious reasons, put a smile on my face.

On the other hand, you have to wonder about people who are perpetually moved to hilarity over the most predictable clichés, or who always fall for the most obvious set-ups leading to the laziest punch lines.

And then there’s the debasement known as talk radio, which confuses meanness with humor much the way that rapists confuse violence with sex. It’s just not humor. Putting it in a political context and labeling it as such doesn’t make it so.

By: Greg Laden

Greg Laden — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 14:12:48 +0000

Where you there? What it a good show? Everyone else I know hated it.

By: Rhyshole

Rhyshole — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:13:52 +0000

“The comedian who offended everyone at an atheist conference in Australia earlier this year”
Nice of you to speak on behalf of EVERYONE at the AAI conference. I had no idea that all those people wiping away the tears of laughter while Jim Jefferies absolutely destroyed on stage, were secretly traumatised and offended deep down inside. Quit trying to project your own prudishness on to everyone else to try and give your babyish whining some validity.

By: HalfMooner

HalfMooner — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 07:52:11 +0000

“I. Snarlalot
July 13, 12:50 pm

Humor is about presentation of surprise.”

Very good point. Perhaps I should not preface all my own stuff with a detailed explanation of what is to follow? Maybe my explaining the gags at the end is less than productive, too.

By: travc

travc — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 05:35:32 +0000

Tosh has always seemed rather sophomoric to me. But I can still imagine defending him, especially if he admits to misreading the situation or even just being an ass with a mic,

As for over-the-line offensive but somehow still good…
Frankie Boyle and Jimmy Carr pop to mind.

By: I. Snarlalot

I. Snarlalot — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 17:50:22 +0000

Humor is about presentation of surprise. Probably it’s more a relative function of what you understand about the world around you than merely being subjective, which is why your sense of humor (hopefully) develops as you get older. In other words, what strikes you as funny is partly a function of intelligence and social awareness.

Comedians also have their own culture and are prone to their own kind of group-think. There’s an idea floating out there that being an obnoxious jerk is automatically funny. Says something about the state of our society, no?