Joking about people who feel attacked? Make sure you've got a good take.
Larry Wilmore on the primary purpose of comedy and where to draw the line.
There’s so much buzz about Chappelle/where to draw the line/what comics can or can’t say, but it often feels misplaced and, well, mostly a snooze. But comic/writer Larry Wilmore offers a good foundational framework for comics dealing with all that: Make getting laughs your top priority.
Background: Wilmore once said people go to see comedy in order to be shocked. And recently, an interviewer asked if he thinks of that as an ideal. His answer:
The primary purpose of comedy is to get laughs. When it serves that well, a lot of the other purposes become secondary or tertiary. If the audience sits there and they don’t laugh, they feel like the comedian has failed or the comedy has failed at its job. And different types of comedy serve different purposes. Maybe the purpose is to say things that are over the line…You’re not going to see me doing jokes in that area [of LGBTQ+]. My biggest reason is that any time there’s a group really feeling attacked, you’ve got to be careful. I would really have to have a good take on something to put myself out there with jokes.
Say what you want. But any time you’re saying something that might make a group feel attacked, make sure you’ve got a good take on it. If you’re poking the bear, don’t do it just for shock value or to deliver a dumb pun. Make sure you’ve got a unique p.o.v. worth hearing. A lotta comics out here complaining about what they can/can’t say as if the issue is sensitivity when often it’s just that their jokes are lame.
One caveat: Lately, it seems like everyone feels under attack which doesn’t leave a lot of meat on the bone. Thick skin used to be a desirable trait. Let’s bring it back. Wilmore gives a good example re: that too…
How do you respond to comedy that really clashes with, say, your political sensibilities?
I don’t mind. I don’t need agreement in order to see the value in something.
More of that, please.