| the-pi-guy said: The thing that gets me about all of this is that plenty of people who understand that the message matters, suddenly don't think it does when it's hypothetical. Lots of conservatives are concerned about the messages that Hollywood, the gaming industry, news media is putting out. Ben Shapiro, on multiple occasions, has made a big deal about how the tv show Will & Grace has brainwashed people into accepting gay people in society. Yet somehow, when you ask the hypothetical question about comedians, it is now unthinkable that comedy could potentially have any kind of impact on people's behaviors and beliefs. I would say that most people don't actually believe that, when you really got down to it. I think that they're just concerned that these things will start to negatively impact them. |
Well, asking in theoreticals brings out the ideals we want. But aside from that: in practice comedians got into hot water for jokes that are certainly touching difficult topics, but aren't just bad taste jokes. Often comedians get criticized just for using a word, without even considering the context or content of the joke. Sarah Silverman, George Carlin, and South Park. They all cross arbitrary set up lines in the sand, but this allows us to discuss difficult topics. Too much people are hung up often on a single word, taken out of context. People are offended - often even offended in place of other people they aren't part of. Dave Chappelle got famous for jokes about racism and allowed to have a wider discussion - often using no-no words. I think having this discussion is more useful than ignoring it all. So if you ask about hypotheticals - it often is not as hypothetical as you suggest. Comedians actually see the backlash, including death threats. Often by few persons, but an attack can be made by a single person.
There is also this belief - wrongly - that media (this includes comedy) makes our world view. But that is not true. The reality is that media may shape some superficial parts of it, but our core beliefs are formed elsewhere. The best propaganda doesn't change our core beliefs, it uses our core beliefs and twists it towards another goal. The idea that media forms these core beliefs is in the most part not scientifically sound.
For example often is the Sapir-Whorf-Hypothesis cited. But the reality is that this is shaky, especially in the extend it often is used. But yes, it is popular in science fiction for a good reasons: believing words have outstanding power over the thoughts of people is a very attractive idea for authors - people who use words as their tool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmZdGo6b5yA
