On The Dangers Of The Comedy

[papamihel]

Mark Twain once said that “A sense of humor is the one thing no one will admit to not having.” Twain observation came to mind this week when Robin DiAngelo warned that “Comedy is . . . an excuse to get to be racist.” It appears that DiAngelo is moving from “White Fragility” to white comedy. The remarks of the author of the book “White Fragility” were carried on the Wisconsin-based non-profit Mythinformed. DiAngelo singled out “Family Guy” and “The Simpsons” as racist entertainment. For free speech advocates, the comments are concerning given the crackdown in other countries on comedians.



DiAngelo explained how comedy is a dangerous gateway for racism:

“Comedy is, I think, an excuse to get to be racist, right? I think TV shows like ‘Family Guy’ and ‘South Park’ and maybe a little bit ‘The Simpsons’ allowed White people to be racist self-consciously. Like, ‘I know I’m being racist and therefore it doesn’t count and it’s OK.’ I don’t think it’s benign to do it in a joking way. And there is a concept in comedy called punching up, not down. So if you want to punch up, there are very different power dynamics and it doesn’t hurt in the same way. It doesn’t invoke a deep, deep centuries-long history of oppression when you poke fun at say, White people. But it’s very, very different when you poke fun at people of color.”

jonathanturley.org/2021/07/27/an-excuse-to-get-to-be-racist-white-fragility-author-issues-warning-on-the-dangers-of-the-comedy/

There are very few things tyranny hates more than being laughed at...

[abbey1227]

Jul 28, 2021 5:38:45 GMT papamihel said:

jonathanturley.org/2021/07/27/an-excuse-to-get-to-be-racist-white-fragility-author-issues-warning-on-the-dangers-of-the-comedy/

There are very few things tyranny hates more than being laughed at...

She'd probably have a heart attack and drop her vaginal lining if forced to watch Archie Bunker or George Jefferson. Blazing Saddles would leave her mumbling incoherently.

What she completely ignores is the use of satire and an equal distribution of mockery across all groups.