Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

[Blzer]

I was wondering if you know how people feel when they are in a theater, say with their friends, and the comedic timing of a line is exploited by offending a certain type of person. Maybe it's a Black or Asian joke, maybe it's about a midget or fat person, or maybe it's about someone handicapped or mentally disabled.

How does the "fat friend" respond to a character who is being obliterated by somebody else because of their obesity? Do they slouch in their chair in awkwardness, resenting the rest of the film because it can't throw a punch line without having to resort to insults? Do you ever encounter something like this or know of a scenario when this happens?

Or better yet, gay jokes or jokes about suicide. I don't know, I just feel like somebody who is struggling going through certain things might make these moments uncomfortable, and this is specifically because in a comedy it is being made fun of in such a way that everybody else can laugh it off.

Normally I pass off a show like Family Guy that uses this kind of humor, because they attack everybody and not just one type of person. Plus, it's done so satirically that it doesn't really resonate with us, probably because it's a cartoon.

Any thoughts on the matter? I'm personally not offended by most things, but I'm sitting there thinking whether or not others would that I'm with.


EDIT: I think one of the more awkward things about this scenario really is the casting call. "Alright, we need somebody who ways 300 pounds. Your role in this film is to be the punch line of every joke because of your weight." It's just interesting what lengths the entertainment business goes to for a quick laugh or buck.

Meanwhile we can look at people like Peter Dinklage and Jordan Prentice, phenomenal actors with achondroplasia, embrace their condition so much that they are typecast in comedies quite frequently. I'm sure they're okay with it, but others watching with the same condition I'm less certain.

[kehlis]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Umm, let's be very careful with this thread.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

It doesn't bother me one bit or offend anybody else that I know personally. Mainly because I take it for it is(or what it's supposed to be)and not try to look deeper into the meaning.

So even things like the usual stereotypical jokes I hear about Black People(such as the whole Fried Chicken/Watermelon thing)from other races, I don't get or wouldn't get offended by it at all. Hell, most of the time I'm right there laughing along(mainly because it's true and "we" know it is). Doesn't mean I don't have certain limits as to how much I can tolerate but for the most part, I don't let things like that bother me at all.

[HealyMonster]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

It doesn't bother me one bit or offend anybody else that I know personally. Mainly because I take it for it is(or what it's supposed to be)and not try to look deeper into the meaning.

So even things like the usual stereotypical jokes I hear about Black People(such as the whole Fried Chicken/Watermelon thing)from other races, I don't get or wouldn't get offended by it at all. Hell, most of the time I'm right there laughing along(mainly because it's true and "we" know it is). Doesn't mean I don't have certain limits as to how much I can tolerate but for the most part, I don't let things like that bother me at all.

Yeah, it depends on the person. Like generally if someone is super uptight or easily offended, I wouldn't expect them to be the type of person to go see a comedy like a Ted or watch family guy, so yeah if they ended up watching it, id expect them to be somewhat offended.

A good example of this is The Wolf on Wall Street. I have a sister who has Cerebral Palsy. She's got it pretty bad, can't walk, she's 27 now, and its just a disability. She is somewhat uptight about it, she wants to be treated like a normal person, but generally people feel sorry for her when they meet her and act accordingly. Between me and her however, she's just my sister, and, truthfully, she doesn't know what its like to be without cerebral palsy, so she doesn't act like she's missing out on stuff, she just hates the sympathy, I just treat her like a normal person. so back to the wolf story, In it the guy uses drugs and he says he entered Cerebral Palsy phase and he falls down and is crawling to his car, literally looking like he had cerebral palsy. If I didn't have my sister, it would have still been funny, but it wouldn't have been THAT funny. I laughed so hard I entered cerebral palsy phase myself. I recorded it on my phone immediately sent it to my sister, she thought it was one of the funniest things she had ever seen. We still laugh about it to this day.

An outsider might think that it was messed up. An uptight person might, and, I guess I can see that, but I know my sister, and I would never offend her like that, and I know how she would react to most things. I knew she would love that part of that movie. I guarantee there was someone with Cerebral Palsy, or the family member of someone with Cerebral Palsy who was offended by that part of the wolf on wall street, and in the theater, If that person saw that they would probably be visibly upset. Its all about how people react to things, and everyone is different.

[slickdtc]

Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Blzer, this exact thing came across my mind last week. I've been watching a bunch of stand-up comedy, and caught one from Trevor Noah. He's the new host of the Daily Show once Jon Stewart is done. There was a piece on Grantland about the reaction to this news and breaking down his previous performances.

As I'm reading this, I'm like... wait, this was a friggin' comedy stand-up. Why is there a 10,000 word essay breaking it down, wondering if he's secretly racist or dislikes Americans. The piece also centered around the show's stature as a satire of real news and how it's handled nowadays, and the article wrapped up nicely. But just for there to be so much hoopla around Noah and the motivations behind his jokes and how it'll translate to his new position made me kind of shake my head.

But it got me to thinking, if I'm watching a comedy... why the hell should I be offended? It's a JOKE. The Roast of Justin Bieber just aired recently too, and it featured tons of racial comedy as the roasters flamed Bieber and each other (from all backgrounds). These people were brutal on each other, and it was hilarious.

With all the crap that's gone on of late (I'm sure we all have Facebook friends who've shared the various stories that we can't really get in to on OS), comedy is a great arena to put it all out on the table and laugh about it. Honestly, there's a lyric from song that immediately came to mind upon thinking about this:

"There's so much truth in all our humor,
And so much humor in our truth,
So I'm laughing at all the things that I thought I knew"

Taking those awful stereotypes and other terrible things and shamelessly weaving them into a joke is truly an art form. To be able to take something so obviously offensive and make people laugh at it, I think is an incredible talent. If we can't laugh at ourselves sometimes, then we're doomed. This world needs to just chill out sometimes.

No one wants to see a group of people persecuted for their skin color, weight, disability, etc. Not in everyday life. But within the context of a joke or comedy, it's all good. The people who can't understand that it's a joke need to take a hike and stop being dum-dums.

As far as how I feel when groups I would fit in to are the ones being mocked, it's just as hilarious as any other good jokes. One of my favorite parts of Chappelle's sketches were when he was imitating a white guy (typically older and a politician, which I'm neither, but generally speaking). Always thought the voice he used to imitate a white person was super funny. I never once felt like Chappelle was personally attacking me, but rather playing off a stereotype... even if that stereotype happens to be generally true (that's why it is a stereotype!).

[Blzer]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

^ I'd agree, but I don't even know if I mean that other characters are making fun of others. What if the writers just wanted to make fun of something?

Like, say your friend has a really bad stutter, and you go in and watch My Cousin Vinny with a group of buds. When the interim lawyer goes up and cross-examines Tipton, and the entire audience bursts into tears as he can't get the words across, how is your friend feeling at that point? Is his confidence sinking lower watching others laugh at a situation that he is constantly in, thinking about how others will ridicule him and what they'll call him after seeing the film?

It's just an awkward place that comes about in nearly every comedy, and as much as we should be able to "laugh at ourselves" and although I never think writers really overstep in these cases (because the more ridiculous they get, the less serious we should treat it anyway), how often do you or people you know legitimately get affected by on-screen ridicule of societal "faults?"

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

The only comedians that offend me are those that aren't funny.

[slickdtc]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Like, say your friend has a really bad stutter, and you go in and watch My Cousin Vinny with a group of buds. When the interim lawyer goes up and cross-examines Tipton, and the entire audience bursts into tears as he can't get the words across, how is your friend feeling at that point? Is his confidence sinking lower watching others laugh at a situation that he is constantly in, thinking about how others will ridicule him and what they'll call him after seeing the film?

Oh yeah, people are gonna take those insults made in comedy and apply them to real life. I guess it's an unfortunate side effect for something like that.

I know, because my name is Dylan. If you've ever seen Chappelle, there's a skit where he plays a rapper named Dylon. Who are the 5 best rappers of all time... DYLON, DYLON, DYLON, DYLON, and DYLON.

That's like the first thing people go to with me. It can get annoying, but it's not the writer's fault. I grew up with 3 older brothers, so I'm no stranger to getting teased. Just brush it off.

For the record, it's pronounced like Corey Dillon/Bob Dylan. Idiots!

I'm not mad I swear!

[oneamongthefence]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Everybody has something about them that could make other people laugh. Part of being a mature person is learning to take it in stride and determining if there is any maliciousness in it. This is why Kramer got blasted and George Carlin got away with it.

[daflyboys]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

George Carlin ain't nuthin' with this stuff as long as this guys has been around:

Definitely NSFW:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F4m5HLVwsco" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[KG]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

It doesn't bother me one bit or offend anybody else that I know personally. Mainly because I take it for it is(or what it's supposed to be)and not try to look deeper into the meaning.

So even things like the usual stereotypical jokes I hear about Black People(such as the whole Fried Chicken/Watermelon thing)from other races, I don't get or wouldn't get offended by it at all. Hell, most of the time I'm right there laughing along(mainly because it's true and "we" know it is). Doesn't mean I don't have certain limits as to how much I can tolerate but for the most part, I don't let things like that bother me at all.

99% of the time stuff like fried chicken/watermelon doesn't offend me because, hell, who doesn't like those 2 things.

You can usually tell my a person's tone whether or not the joke is malicious.

[bigbob]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Nothing really offends me whenever it comes to comedians, and I don't really have a filter myself whenever it comes to jokes.

I do draw the line at handicap people though.

They sometimes can't stand up for themselves.

I have some morals.

[kehlis]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Nothing really offends me whenever it comes to comedians, and I don't really have a filter myself whenever it comes to jokes.

I do draw the line at handicap people though.

They sometimes can't stand up for themselves.

I have some morals.

Yep, that's my hot button topic as well.

Worked with autistic children for years and am very particular when it comes to that talk.

[redsox4evur]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Nothing really offends me whenever it comes to comedians, and I don't really have a filter myself whenever it comes to jokes.

I do draw the line at handicap people though.

They sometimes can't stand up for themselves.

I have some morals.

I'm the same, when it comes to comedians. No fat jokes, gay jokes, black jokes, etc. don't phase me but about a disabled/handicapped person. Hell no man.

[Skyboxer]

Re: Does offensiveness in comedies affect you or people you know?

Probably in minority but I can handle most comedy except those that feel they need to curse every third word. I simply change the channel.
I have zero use for a ton of profanity. It's not funny at all to me.