If some thought political correctness caused a crippling blow to comedic performances the potential emergence of actual physical attacks on comedians presents the ultimate infringement on jesting.
‘What’s Going On?’
-Marvin Gaye
Last month Actor Will Smith stormed the stage of the Academy Awards to slap Comedian Chris Rock in the face over a joke about his wife, Jada-Picket Smith. And now another comedian feels the heat from an enraged audience member over a joke about the trans people. However, it seems it did not end so well for the attacker in this newest attempt to aggressively attack an offending comedian.
An audience member stormed the stage and physically attacked comedian Dave Chappelle in the middle of his performance in Los Angeles Tuesday night, but he was seemingly unharmed.
The perpetrator was pursued by security personnel until he was apprehended off stage at the Hollywood Bowl. The assailant was eventually carried from the scene on a stretcher, and his arm and face appeared to be injured.
Although Chris Rock himself delivered an amusing joke in the aftermath of the attack, the emerging boldness of the brazen assault was not.
It’s interesting to consider whether there is now a physical war of intimidation rising against jesting or even laughter. It is a disturbing notion that after seeing Will Smith assault a comic with no legal repercussions, people will now feel inspired to assault comedians.
It’s interesting to consider whether there is now a physical war of intimidation rising against jesting or even laughter. It is a disturbing notion that after seeing Will Smith assault a comic with no legal repercussions, people will now feel inspired to assault comedians. Perhaps they will think they are protecting their ideologies by assaulting the people who are making the jokes.
No one should be assaulted for making a joke. The golden age of comedy has turned into the age of fear. Stand-up comedy has been relegated to being performed in back rooms, out of the public eye. Comedy has been sanitized, leaving a large majority of people without the ability to laugh.
When it comes to comedy and the potential to offend others with jokes seems to be an enactment of free speech expression that is protected under the First Amendment in the United States. But there is a bigger issue here. We are becoming so sensitive to language that we are removing comedy from our lives altogether. We can’t say anything that might offend someone, even in a joking manner. This is a terrible way to live. Laughter is the best medicine in times of distress and can soothe the soul.
Hopefully, this form of imitation of comedic free speech expression will eventually be liberated again. People need to learn how to laugh again. And comedians ought to self censor themselves in fear of being attacked on stage. This is indeed serious because someone could get badly hurt over tolerating this type of public aggression. We need to learn how to be okay with being offended and learn how to give proper peaceful and legal r
It’s interesting to consider whether there is now a physical war of intimidation rising against jesting or even laughter. It is a disturbing notion that after seeing Will Smith assault a comic with no legal repercussions, people will now feel inspired to assault comedians. Perhaps they will think they are protecting their ideologies by assaulting the people who are making the jokes.
No one should be assaulted for making a joke. The golden age of comedy has turned into the age of fear. Stand-up comedy has been relegated to being performed in back rooms, out of the public eye. Comedy has been sanitized, leaving a large majority of people without the ability to laugh.
When it comes to comedy and the potential for offending others with jokes, it appears to be an expression of free speech protected under the First Amendment in the United States. But there’s a bigger issue at hand. We are becoming so culturally sensitive to language that we are completely forgoing comedy from our lives. Even if we’re joking, we can’t say anything that might offend someone. This is an awful way to live. In times of distress, laughter is the best medicine and can soothe the soul. Overall, jesting provides a beneficial remedy of laughter to the world that ought not, be deluded or abandoned as non-essential.
Hopefully, this form of imitation of comedic free speech expression will eventually be liberated again. People need to learn how to laugh again. And comedians ought not to be conditioned to self censor themselves in fear of being attacked on stage. This is indeed serious because someone could get badly hurt over tolerating this type of public aggression. We need to learn how to be okay with being offended and learn how to give proper peaceful and legal responses when we are.
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