Freedom Of Speech In Comedy

Many audiences of stand up comedy enjoy hearing their favorite comedian entertain them. But what would one think when a comedian cracks a joke about a sensitive topic, for example, a tragedy that affected hundreds of people. Some may argue that, comedians are not supposed to overstep the boundary of controversial jokes. These controversial jokes are linked with political correctness—which is used to describe language, policies, and measures that are taken to avoid offense to certain groups of people. Comedians are not compelled to restrain from controversial topics due to the topic not being sugar-coated, the higher level of contemplation that the joke can reach, and the job of the comedian—to make the current issue manageable. To start-off,

Another positive for freedom of speech for comedians is that the jokes made can lighten the mood of the subject. A comedians function in society is to challenge authority, and talk about subjects that may be unacceptable (Hartsell). Comedians are expected to go too far, but when they do, they are disapproved for it. Although, the audiences may only laugh at a joke because of how awkward it is going to be if no one did. “People like to mask their feelings due to not wanting others to really know how they feel—so people may laugh in times of nervousness because they are trying to balance their anxious feelings” (Kaminski). The uncalled for joke may trigger feelings of anxiousness and nervousness. Simultaneously, stand up comedy takes dark subjects and makes light of them. “In 2014, Louis CK remarked on NPR that comedy is intended to ‘go to a scary place and laugh’, to defuse and demystify that fear. It is part of the darkness, uncertainty, and ineffability of this ‘scariness]’ that allows comics to connect with a deeper, human truth” (Henry). By doing this, it makes the subject manageable. Making the subject manageable lets the comedians restrict what they say about it, which will affect the response of the audience. In support of freedom of speech, comedians boost the mood of the subject from a dark place to a wittier