Comedy is a popular form of entertainment. Most comedians use comedy to test people’s views on controversial topics and often push the boundaries. But how different is it when when something controversial is said at a comedy gig and when a person says it in public. Are today’s audiences too sensitive?
Arguably one of the most controversial comedians is Jimmy Carr. In his shows he includes jokes to do with rape, racism, homophobia and other difficult or taboo social topics. Most audiences brush it off but some don’t allow it and don’t feel comfortable. There have been many cases in the past where comedians have been banned from theatres.
The author and cultural commentator Roxane Gay described the decision of streaming service Hulu to pull an episode of Golden Girls as “weird, counterproductive and stupid. It diminishes the effort to actually end racism. It’s just so dumb.” The author Sathnam Sanghera echoed this sentiment, describing the “panic-erasing” of British television programmes such as The Mighty Boosh as “idiotic”, arguing that it would “make the deep concern behind BLM seem like political correctness”.
Some comedians have been known to target members of the audience without consent, making jokes about their life, personal issues or family members. Some may think of this as unethical and wrong while others actually enjoy it.
Have you experienced something you found difficult or distasteful whilst watching TV or when attending live performances, or do you feel the reactions and cancel culture are going too far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
By Jack Yr 8
Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford