The Importance Of Comedy In Society

Comedy has always been the little engine that could, pushing against societal norms and boundaries. George Carlin pushed the social bounds of language with his Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television bit. Richard Pryor walked past the razor’s edge of race dialogue in America. Lenny Bruce pushed the limits of society’s sexuality. Comedy is predicated on the idea of saying what no one else will. As Mel Brooks put it, “comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering in the king’s ear, always telling the truth about human behavior… Comedy has to walk a thin line, [and] take risks.” Humor and satire has been challenged time and time again by social dictators who wish to preserve a certain image, and as a result, comedy has always been the canary in the coal mine for a society’s sensibilities. It reveals who has power in society and who is exempt from criticism.
Comedy is dangerous for those who want control. It shows absurdities and criticizes with a sharp tongue. It can be as simple as comparing a dictator to a cartoonish character like Gollum, or satirizing Islam and Muhammad on the cover of a magazine. These simple acts

Predominantly liberal critics of Markus called his actions “grossly offensive” and said they could see no way that “anyone should think it’s a joke.” In Canada, a comedian was fined $15,000 by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for insulting a lesbian couple during one of his acts. Another comedian in Canada was fined $42,000 for mocking a public figure who was disabled. All of these cases show how people have weaponized the government against comedians to prevent offence to marginalized groups. Not only are these small-timers taking a massive hit against the outrage machine, but even comedian superstars like Dave Chappelle have had to bear a tidal wave for offending specific