Irony, bigotry loopholes and minority hacks

My pronouns are: pronoun jokes suck

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If you're offending your audience, write better jokes

Does it matter if comedy punches up or down?

This article is about how people use irony and loopholes to cover up their own prejudices and/or get extra edgy points at the expense of others. It’s a paper thin mask that most people can see right through. I’m not saying there is no way to be funny and “punch down”, but it’s not funny in its own right. I’m never going to think “Wow that’s so clever how you tricked us into hate speech - what a funny jape!”.

My politics are left/liberal, but I like all kinds of comedy. What I don’t like are people using the art-form to bully, and then playing the victim for being criticised. If there’s a new edgy topic in the zeitgeist such as trans issues, it seems every comic needs to have their take. Here’s a crazy thought, you don’t.

Ironic “isms”

In my younger years my friends and I were proponents of, and I’m ashamed to say now, ironic racism. We were all huge comedy fans, and simply the nicest friendliest bunch of people around who certainly weren’t racist - I mean HA, can you imagine? With our ironic racism, we were highlighting to each other to great comic effect how ridiculous it would be if any of us were to act in such a hateful and unpleasant way.

I didn’t understand it at the time, but this was hate speech. It was hate speech because we were a bunch of white people cos-playing as racists “for a laugh”. And where did we get this amazing character study from? The world around us, which is also within us. You might think what’s wrong with just making a joke with your friends - isn’t that the ultimate “safe space”? Surely they can’t take that from us! I’ve grown very bored and disturbed by ironic humour, it’s just perpetuating the words of the bully but adding “I’m only joking!”. Irony doesn’t work without truth, an ironically racist(or any “ist”) joke is just parading the ugly viewpoint around like an abusive show-pony for no obvious reason other than it was a bit funny. Well it was a lot racist so off to the glue factory with you!

BOOO! - Photo by Globe City Guide 🌎 on Unsplash

With every good intent in the world, it’s just saying a thing a racist would say, and why would you want to do that? There’s weird awkward ironic racism and then there’s EVERY OTHER JOKE IN THE WORLD.

When I see a male comic pretending to be a sexist I’m like oooh clap clap that must have taken a big character study. As a woman, men have been sexist to me my whole life! I have a deep detailed knowledge on the issue. As a man you either are a sexist, think sexist things, or know a bunch of sexists and probably never called them out. So excuse me if I’m not doubled over at your “make me a sandwich” joke.

And please PLEASE no more pronoun jokes unless its this one:

What is a bigotry loophole joke?

Wheeee! Racism!

I have seen this more times than I would like, it’s where the comedian finds a loophole in order to use an ugly, usually racist stereotype in their joke. These are real examples.

1. A lady was antisemitic to me so I am going to make fun of her Chinese accent

2. The “N-Word” but I meant Nutella

3. Bad Indian accent but I’m making a point about punching up and down.

4. “I can’t stand them” - sound like they’re maybe describing an ugly stereotype of black people, but it’s The Wombles (from British TV)

I have seen people kill with these jokes. It certainly makes the joke more surprising when the tension of “omg this person is being legit racist” has vanished. But for these jokes to work you have to take such a cheap shot, can’t you be better than that? Why spend your time looking for loopholes to be a racist? Again, you have these jokes and then EVERY OTHER JOKE EVER!

Minority Hacks

It’s a nightmare to pair this thing

This is another loophole to bigotry, hooray! This is when you are yourself from a marginalised group and you use this to perpetuate ugly stereotypes about your own group, just because you can. This goes for any kind of marginalised group - queer, ADHD, old, Jew - but that’s enough about me! Self deprecating humour can go a long way, you’re beating someone to the punchline and that’s something that people from marginalised groups have had to do their whole lives. But why repeat ugly stereotypes, just so bigots can laugh along with the joke? I always say, if you’re going to self-deprecate, make it really specific and bizarre. Make it an observation that only people from that group could make. Sure, start with the obvious stereotype but then twist it up.

Self Deprecation but not in a sad way