Comedy and Politics

Humor and politics have always gone hand-in-hand. Even in ancient times, it was understood that jokes could convey underlying truth, and that uncomfortable truths could be brought to light by skilled comedians who knew how to make light of these weighty matters.

But some jokes are no laughing matter. Comedy can be used as a way to talk about important issues while using humor to distract our attention from all the details and nuance. It can be used to dodge responsibility by following up offensive or harmful statements with the blanket excuse that "I was only joking!".

Are we being responsible makers and consumers of comedy? Have some comedians gone too far, or have we gone too far in persecuting them? How do we keep laughing at our politics, while remembering that they are a serious matter?

Excerpt

Humor and politics have always gone hand-in-hand. Even in ancient times, it was understood that jokes could convey underlying truth, and that uncomfortable truths could be brought to light by skilled comedians who knew how to make light of these weighty matters. Are we being responsible makers and consumers of comedy?

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