Can We Take a Joke? – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

A short history on why being offensive shouldn’t be criminal.

Trigger Warning(s): Offensive Jokes

Review (with Spoilers)

Storyline

It’s increasingly common now for someone to be “doxed” i.e. someone’s whole life to be ruined through their personal information being exposed, and maybe even their families, for one offensive comment or picture being discovered and going viral. Yet, then there are comedians. They don’t hide behind avatars, aren’t some nobody on Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook. Nope, they make a living off of telling jokes, sometimes, if not often, being offensive, and within this documentary are the comedians sick and tired of people apologizing for it.

Now, you may think these comedians are entitled, but they expand on the often whiny argument many have dealt with being sick of politically correct culture and bring in some experts. One which deals with first amendment laws and even brings up Lenny Bruce who, thanks to the conservative way free speech was handled in his prime, pretty much was pushed to suicide. But it goes beyond just that. It takes note of how free speech is limited in European countries (I should note this documentary is very American comedian-centric) and how the lack of discourse because we can’t deal with someone offending us is becoming ridiculous.

Highlights

It’s Not A Bunch of Comedians Whining

Something you may notice nowadays is that there are more and more comedians taking the Kevin Hart or Gabriel Iglesias route. As in, they don’t seek to offend, they try to stay middle of the road, and while they may curse here and there, they don’t seek at all to offend anyone. It is all good fun. The comedians in this film, though, they say **** that. Social commentary for them is beyond their own personal life but politics, media, and the people around them if not their audience. For whether it is Lisa Lampanelli, Gilbert Gottfried, or Adam Carolla, they all present the idea that you can’t say you like free speech without allowing other people to use it. For through comedy, that is where you test the limits of what it means to not only be a free society which allows the people to express their opinions but to also try to make jokes about it.

It Makes You Think

Which leads you to think a bit. For, as noted, this isn’t a bunch of comedians, as you often hear when they do solo interviews, whining about how they have to curb and monitor what they say. There are a multitude of examples, ranging from the Justine Sacco tweet to the persecution of Lenny Bruce. All of which is used not as a scapegoat but to show how ridiculous and far people will take getting offended. Which isn’t me saying people don’t have the right to, even the comedians don’t deny you have the right to be offended, it is just, there is just this difficulty to understand how comedy can survive in a world where it is supposed to question, bring to light, and poke fun at things, when doing such can literally threaten your job, your safety, and essentially your life.

Criticism

It Is One Sided

While a good argument is made for comedians and inspiring comedians to explore, make mistakes, and get messy, there isn’t any opposing side bringing up the dangers of normalizing some things. There isn’t any conversation about why being politically correct has become not something to whisper for but a demand. With that, one could argue that like a coal miner trying to lobby against EPA regulations, comedians are trying to lobby against censorship and having to change to adapt to modern times.

Overall: Mixed (Home Viewing)

I don’t often see what Amazon Prime has since, outside of Mozart in the Jungle, and hopefully Z: The Beginning of Everything, their programming is just not my cup of tea and most of their movies available seem like supermarket bargain bin stuff. Yet, with the “From the Archives” project wearing me out, and with me watching very few light or comedic movies as of late, I needed something different. So, with that said, this documentary was a godsend. For while, yes, it is a bit imbalanced since it solely features comedians and those who support their opinion, while making the other side seem outlandish, at the same time they present valid points which make you think.

For even if you disagree or find what they say offensive, a few key things to take away from the whole discussion is how much have you let slide because you found it funny or the topic didn’t hit home? Has censoring, avoiding, and oppressing opposing opinions really helped your life and made you more of a global citizen? And lastly, why so serious? Not to say in a demeaning way, but you stepped into a comedy club, you decided to go onto the internet which is filled with offensive videos, articles, and etc. Why act as if these random people, often times insignificant, are worth berating, doxing, and destroying the lives of? Yes, it may work on the common man but did it keep the US from electing a certain president-elect? No. So all you have the power over is someone whose life is as fragile as yours and only takes one mistake to ruin forever.

We often talk about the police state in terms of Big Brother watching but damn if Big Brother doesn’t even need to stick to his monitor for all the little cousins are doing his work for him. Outing people, crafting internet mobs to oppress them and silencing them so that no matter if they are pro or against something, they will be made into an example. One which, like the one kid who gets suspended for doing what everybody else is doing, kills the spirit of meek and threatens the bold to the point they have to be covert.