Comedy Analysis

The Complexity of Defining Limits on Comedy in the Context of Religion and Race

In the modern world where restless events happen every day, it is essential to have a device to help cope with difficult situations. Whilst “freedom of expression is an absolute principle in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights found in Article 19”, comedians must remember that offence is taken rather than given and everyone has their own threshold (Sturges, 2010). However, there is a growing feeling that comedians can no longer say anything without being offensive. If comedians are not mindful, they may push boundaries which may lead to unexpected consequences and forms of retaliation. Due to the multidimensionality of comedy, this exploration will focus on

For example, in the context of Jewish humor, Jewish humorist purposefully make themselves the butt of their own jokes (Bleiweiss, 2006). However, Bleiweiss points out that the difference between Jewish humor and the previous example given in this study by Jim Jefferies is that “Jews denigrate their own character flaws and not Judaism itself” (Bleiweiss, 2006). In other words, the comedian is not judging the faith, but instead its followers. For example, in David Finklestein’s show on being Jewish, he explores the stereotype of how Jewish men are not allowed to touch a woman before marriage. Humor and amusement is created when he tells a story of how when he goes shopping, when he’s horny, he purposely hands the money to the female clerk so their “fingers brush passionately” (2:05-2:16). Although on the outside this may seem like a small and trivial story, by looking at the larger picture, David Finklestein is using humor as an emotional defense mechanism. In a predominantly Anti-Semitic world, by laughing at himself first, he prevents others from following. Instead of crying at the abuse others inflict on them, Jews use their stereotypes against them in their own comedy shows in order to remove the power and credibility of the