Political Correctness Doesn't Censor, It Keeps Comedy Fresh - General

[video=youtube;ufz4W0puLPA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufz4W0puLPA[/video] [QUOTE=description]Comics are free to write jokes about whatever they want and, if they've done their homework, any topic can be made funny. Political correctness discourages lazy joke writing, says comic Paul F. Tompkins.[/QUOTE]

I would say John Cleese would have a rebuttal or an exception to this rule.

He's not wrong with his points but he's suggesting that comedians have never been silenced due to PC just because he's never personally experienced it.

PFT is the best. Easily my favorite stand up / actor / podcast host/guest right now.

I suppose Life of Brian is just lazy joke writing then. Political correctness is regressive, it doesn't push the boundaries. It tightens them like a noose.

Considering people are now mad at people like red letter media over their latest episode because of an AIDS joke, ill have to strongly disagree. Comedy comes in all forms and my absolute favorite is black comedy, gallows humor, and crude humor. All of which gains a ton of attention from PC crowds as being offensive and needs to be censored.

I think he's talking more about stand up. Movies and YouTube and other media are a bit different. But if a crowd has paid to see stand up they probably have some inkling of what they're getting themselves into and won't be offended as easily. People that pay to see Anthony Jeselnik are expecting to hear awful stuff, for example.

[QUOTE=stupid07er;49795375]I think he's talking more about stand up. Movies and YouTube and other media are a bit different. But if a crowd has paid to see stand up they probably have some inkling of what they're getting themselves into and won't be offended as easily. People that pay to see Anthony Jeselnik are expecting to hear awful stuff, for example.[/QUOTE] Then why is this an issue? Why has this been made an issue by either side of this debate? Shit why was fucking Jerry Seinfeld hit in this? [editline]22nd February 2016[/editline] Also comedy should always mock and turn its guns on the masses, because if you're not able to laugh and stay grounded you get entirely bullheaded and start making mistakes.

[QUOTE=Thlis;49795220]I suppose Life of Brian is just lazy joke writing then. Political correctness is regressive, it doesn't push the boundaries. It tightens them like a noose.[/QUOTE] Add George Carlin and Louis CK as well. Honestly it may sound extreme but i'd go so far as to say that political correctness is the antithesis of comedy.

[quote=Paul F. Tompkins]Audiences are not telling them you can't joke about this, they're telling them "That wasn't funny." I think you can make a joke about anything[/quote] 100% This is how I and most of my friends feel tbh. I'll never laugh at a joke that's punchline is lazy like "haha men in dresses amirite???"(Me being trans, I use this as an example.) But there's plenty of very offensive but smartly written jokes about transpeople that I will laugh my ass off to.

Comedy that gets me mad is usually just shit comedy with bad joke writing [editline]23rd February 2016[/editline] If Adam Sandler isn't PC then please let me be an SJW

[QUOTE=codemaster85;49795230]Considering people are now mad at people like red letter media over their latest episode because of an AIDS joke, ill have to strongly disagree. Comedy comes in all forms and my absolute favorite is black comedy, gallows humor, and crude humor. All of which gains a ton of attention from PC crowds as being offensive and needs to be censored.[/QUOTE] Didn't RLM actively highlight the AIDS joke part? Like whenever a potentially risky/bad joke of that caliber is made RLM always highlight it in a "laugh at how bad that joke/comment was". Christ I don't think it even needs explaining if someone doesn't get RLM humor they must be either horribly stupid or trying too hard to not laugh at it.

[QUOTE=Paige;49798377]100% This is how I and most of my friends feel tbh. I'll never laugh at a joke that's punchline is lazy like "haha men in dresses amirite???"(Me being trans, I use this as an example.) But there's plenty of very offensive but smartly written jokes about transpeople that I will laugh my ass off to.[/QUOTE] then complain about that instead of complaining about them being offensive at least that's what the people in this thread are mostly talking about, people complaining about jokes being offensive

[QUOTE=elowin;49798861]then complain about that instead of complaining about them being offensive at least that's what the people in this thread are mostly talking about, people complaining about jokes being offensive[/QUOTE] Personally I have. But the problem is that when you say "Oh that wasn't funny" people are going to lump it in with "thats because you were offended!!" and yes, it's possible i was offended. But only because the joke is about a serious subject and is also not funny. I wouldn't be offended or angry at all if a joke is funny while still talking about a serious subject. Even making fun of that subject.

Two problems with that logic though. First, it assumes that the comedians complaining about the growing fervor of political correctness on campuses are just lazy comedians who don't know how to make people laugh. I think this is self-evidently false based purely on the fact that Seinfeld, Chris Tucker, and John Cleese are household names that have been making people laugh for literally decades. Secondly, and more critically, it assumes that these comedians are at best dumb, at worst lying when they say that the reason they are getting a bad reaction is due to their "controversial" style of comedy and not based on the delivery. I also obviously categorically reject the doublethink that making certain things off limits expands what you can talk about.