I understand the core arguments of some of that stuff, and again, not every comedian should be the same. Carlin and Hicks, for instance, are more appealing by poking more fun at the elites/privleged types, etc. But that doesn't mean that NO comedians should ever engage in what you referring to as "punching down". As long as a joke or gag has the potential to be funny, it needs to be allowed to be spoken. Art should never be limited. In fact, a key value of art (at least for my money) in society is to make people uncomfortable and confront certain things.
To me, saying certain people are essentially off-limits in comedy is restricting and I disagree immensely with it. At the end of the day It's just yet another form of moral panic and pearl clutching. I didn't like that kind of mentality when it came more from the right in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, and I don't like it now that it's coming more from the left in the 2010s and 2020s.
Like, what are people specifically worried about with this "problematic" art/entertainment? That someone is going to go off and commit some crime or violence all because of/inspired by some given material? If somebody does, then they obviously have mental issues and were essentially bound to commit that crime eventually anyway. I've yet to see an example of a piece of art of entertainment taking a good person and magically transforming them into a bad one..
I'll add that I do agree comedy often thrives at being a more anti-establishment art that pokes fun at the privilege, power structures, and elites. The Orthodoxy, basically. Though what these things consist of is ITSELF partly subjective and often fluid. Depending on one's own viewpoints, culture, or personal experiences..
Last edited by DarthMetalliCube - on 30 April 2024
"We hold these truths to be self-evident - all men and women created by the, go-you know.. you know the thing!" - Joe Biden
