Bonus: Check out Dave Chappelle's "Racial Draft"
For this blog post view the videos below of comedians Hari Kondabolu, Emily Heller, W. Kamau Bell, Louis C.K., and Kristina Wong as they make jokes about issues of race and gender. In 2-3 paragraphs discuss your thought about humor and social protest. In your post consider the following questions: what role can comedy play in revealing the absurdity of racism and sexism? Is comedy an effective form of protest? Why or why not? How can humor help in opening up discussions about subjects---like racism and gender---that are often fraught and polarizing? Are the examples below legitimate forms of protest? Why or why not? Your responses do not have to answer all of the questions. Pick one or two to help you formulate your commentary. Responses must be posted by Wednesday, May 28th by 5:00 pm.
Well written and aptly performed comedy can serve as one of the most effective mediums to expose the absurdity of racism, sexism, and all other forms of injustice. On a fundamental basis, making fun of a situation or an idea allows the performer and the audience to engage in an active discussion of an issue such as racism by exposing it to ridicule. And while other forms of communication also serve the same purpose in exposing absurdity in social constructs, comedy becomes a universal language that connects people from all social economic classes, ethnic backgrounds, and various other means of classifying identity. In this sense, comedy can act to connect seemingly different people with the fundamental basis to laugh at ridicule and understand the similarities that underlie humanity.
ReplyDeleteAs Hari Kondabolu states in his stand-up routine, “saying I’m obsessed with race and racism in America is like saying I’m obsessed with swimming when I’m drowning” highlighting the absurdity of categorizing race as an issue that polarized and forcibly dividing. Kondabolu continues later, emphasizing that “white isn’t a thing. Race isn’t a thing. It’s a social construct. It’s a way to separate us and destroy us.” Race continues to be a pivotal issue in America, and tensions between ethnic groups remain prevalent to this day. Many of the comedy videos presented here serve to break down what race and racism has meant throughout American history, depicting the transformation and continuation of racism throughout the centuries, just in different manifestations, with different primary characters. Therefore, comedy is a tool to break down huge issues such as race and gender into smaller discussions that encourage comedians and audiences to delve into and discover the nuances that separate communities and showcase ways to reconnect each other.
Zhiqiao Dong
Comedy is an easygoing method to tackle the very serious problem of racism and sexism in society. I think that if you try to tackle a problem from a very serious perspective in which you are offended and angry, then you lose some of your credibility. However, if you're coming from a comedic perspective, you're able to maintain a sense of dignity and purpose in your cause because entertaining is the primary goal and social movement seems secondary.
ReplyDeleteComedy, especially stand-up comedy, serves the purpose of entertaining an audience. People like to laugh and if you are able to make people laugh while incorporating your political and and social perspectives, then it's a really effective way to get a point across. I think that sarcasm is a really good way to reveal the absurdity of issues such as racism and sexism. It presents ridiculous information to make it the victim of contempt.
Though comedy is great in opening up discussions about racism and gender and making it more commonplace to talk about them, I don't think it inspires movement. Comparing the video's on this blogpost with The Black Buins spoken word inspires different feelings in me. The more serious and artful video would make me more inclined to act upon the lack of diversity at UCLA while the comedic video's don't give me this sense.
In most settings, it is difficult to discuss either racism or sexism due to the polarized nature of these topics in our society. Racism and sexism, both have historical context in our society, and are social constructs that still exist today whether or not people want to acknowledge it. Regardless of which side of the discussion you take, you will likely be labeled by your opinions and as a result be targeted for having said opinions. There is no objective to having an open discussion because each party will likely argue their agenda. The question then becomes how can comedy intervene in this discussion?
ReplyDeleteComedy in itself is a powerful tool. It allows one to satirize social constructs like racism and sexism, thereby creating an argument with a definitive agenda, without repercussions. In contrast to a serious discussion on these matters, comedy needs no filter and creates an environment where hyperboles are encouraged and used. In fact, it is an absurdity that these issues are so overly disputed in a society that strives to promote equality for all. This absurdity is thereby ridiculed for what it is through comedy.
For example, the Issues in the videos discussed such as white privilege, interracial couples, and feminism are all highly stigmatized in our society. Many people have strong opinions on these topics, but because they fear the repercussions of expressing such opinions, the tension regarding these issues are suppressed and often passively expressed. When it is opportune, such as when a news story mentions white privilege, everyone suddenly uses this story as a jumping point to express their opinions. Comedy however needs no catalyst, and as we can see in many of the comedians, they use their own experiences or create stories of their own which express their opinions openly in such an absurd way that it is difficult to ridicule.
Comedy serves to terror down this blockade of sternness that persists in dividing society and prevents it from making amends to its flaws. In this way does it reveal the absurd qualities of proclaimed racism and sexism in the modern age that prove detrimental to the attention of real issues concerning those injustices. These injustices of discrimination, and others like it, have often shown to be polarizing as those who recognize it express it in a multitude of ways. However, different audiences are receptive to different ways of their protest and some people are even taken aback by some of those methods which ends up hurting the entire agenda of all protestors of that subject. Fortunately, comedy breaks down those hurtful barriers imposed by extremists by exposing the flaws within this greater-good movement; it highlights the true serious issues of the subject matter in a tone that attracts everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is precisely why comedy is a legitimate form of protest and why it is so effective. It unifies a divided audience against an oppressive authority, whether that entity realizes it is an oppressive authority or not. In this case, oppression is defined as anything that implements social constructs hindering cooperativeness and compassion in a community. Poking fun at these injustices brings out good feelings from the masses while angering those at fault being targeted by the comedy. This provokes those targeted to reveal an aggressive side of themselves that further discredits their stance. Not only that, but once comedic protesting has exposed such absurdity, a unified audience is now in position to recognize the larger societal issues at large and can fix them.
Comedy becomes a platform where comedians can comment on important issues with absurdity. They point out these absurd stereotypes through their comedy. By poking holes into these social biases they can comment on how ridiculous they are, and how at the end of they day we are all people no matter the color of our skin or our gender and deserve respect. Hari Kondabolu brings up this great point that race is a social construct developed for people to isolate one another. We segregate ourselves by the melanin of our skin.
ReplyDeleteEmily Heller brings up the stereotypes of feminism. How things like not shaving one’s legs or not showering in essence not keeping oneself groom is an act of feminism rather than a woman’s decision to be lazy. I think it is interesting that she brings this up after explaining how hard it is for people to identify themselves as a feminist. By poking fun at these social constructs there begins the open dialogue between people. In W. Kamau Bell’s bit he shines light on a couple in the 1950s where it was illegal for them to wed because they were an interracial marriage. Instead of the government and society frowning on the couple because of their large age difference, they were under attack because of the color of their skin. When he opens up about the problems he faces with his wife, and the looks they get from both White and Black people it shows how far this society has become, and how far we still have to grow.
Applying humor and social protest like these comedians did is a form of addressing issues that may usually be difficult to talk about, such as race and gender. Personally, I do believe that comedy is an effective form of protest because humor can be uses to make light of problematic topics and can open up discussion. It can also lead to a larger cause, for instance in the videos posted above, many of the comedians addressed how race is what Americans make of it and that there is too much energy wasted on the issue. By making the issue humorous, it demeans the issue and brings light into the situation and open up for others to realize the unimportance of such topics and highlights the reality.
ReplyDeleteThese videos are in fact examples of protest because they are sharing words that poke fun out of real problematic situations in today’s society. It breaks down and takes a different perspective like in this case racism and sexism. In other words, the comedians act as the individuals who voice and point out what many are already rationalizing therefore opening up the discussions and talk about things that others would not feel comfortable in starting a conversation. Humor is a great way as a form of protest in any case. Comedians can use their humor as a powerful tool to get attention on race like so.
Jessica Iniguez
As with most people who commented on this blog post, I agree that comedy serves a purpose in opening the conversation to bring up difficult topics. But on the alternative side making fun, or satirizing certain things such as racism or feminism only works on certain communities. Take for example, the fact that these comedians are performing for people who know their work and generally like it/ agree with it, or at least wouldn't hate to sit through an hour of stand up comedy about it. Whereas, a person who is a racist wouldn't be convinced that the topic is funny, much less that his role in society is funny or something to laugh at. That being said, there is always the gray area of people, or those who are undecided or with unpronounced feelings/beliefs about certain topics. And comedy works to introduce and make light up difficult topics such as these with this group.
ReplyDeleteAlso, no matter what it may be better for a comedian to rebel or make light of a serious topic such as this, rather than a radical lobbyist or protestor. Sometimes the best way to discuss these conversations is to, like others have said, make light of them. But at the same time once them have been introduced and people have been swayed in order for the protest of these social constructs to be effective more action must be taken. At some point there needs to be a law passed, just as the couple mentioned accomplished. It's interesting because the looks Kamau spoke about in his skit when walking with his wife as an interracial couple, I have experienced. And to think that this could exist in the year 2014 is quite sad. Though the areas which we live in may define the level of conservatism, to think that in a state such as California there would still be remnants of racism makes me question what it may be like in the south or midwest. I also believe that during Obama's presidency we have seen many accounts of racism. While the actual result of the election showed progress, events throughout the term and election process highlighted to me, that racism still exists in America.
Comedy is a very interesting form of communication but at the same time, a dangerous one. Although there are some people who may find the comments made by the comedian true and funny, there are others who may be offended by his remarks. You can never predict a person’s reaction and that is the scariest part. However, I do believe that comedy is a very effective way in opening up discussions. Some topics are very hard to talk about, but when a comedian presents it in a humorous way, not only will people laugh, but it forces them to think about the issue and reconsider previous accusations. Comedy is a different outlet people can use to present controversial ideas that people often avoid. The additional humor is the key to starting a conversation.
ReplyDeleteComedy is a form of protest in that it is very effective in getting people to think about an idea or subject. However, I don’t believe comedy is very effective in getting people to actively do something. When people are at a comedy show, they are sitting down and listening rather than walking on the streets. This shows that comedy is an effective tool to use when you want talk about polarizing issues, but not so effective in getting people to actively fight. This leads to another issues of presenting the seriousness of the issue. Because comedy is meant to make fun of the topic, I question, whether or not comedians are helping the issue or making it worse by making fun of it. In a way, I think that comedians also play a role in why some people may not see the importance of issues because they associate with a comedic joke. Nonetheless, without comedy, there are many issues in the world today that would have never been discussed or brought up.
Comedy reframes provocative issues like race and sexism and provides a new arena of discourse. In every day language, offensive and hurtful comments are not considered appropriate but in the realm of comedy, that sort of language serves as a way to reveal the absurdities of society. However, comedy is only effective when the audience fully understands the joke because it is easy not to look past the exaggerated comedic effects. Growing up, The Simpsons was one of my favorite TV shows but it was only when I was in high school that I realized the show was satirical. So, people do not always realize that there is an underlying social message.
ReplyDeleteComedy is a subtle form of protest because it can change the way that people perceive a situation or idea. It can actually lead to meaningful, thought-provoking questions because comedy often tackles the stereotypes associated with a topic. Done in the right way, it can allow people to move past the superficial and instead lead them to question why these beliefs are commonly associated with an issue. For instance, feminists are often portrayed as hairy, bra-burning man-haters and Emily Heller’s comedy routine serves to reveal just how ridiculous that stereotype is. Instead of obscuring the topic behind veils of stereotypes, the audience has the opportunity to look at feminism in a new light.
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ReplyDeleteComedy has a way of turning very controversial topics into something laughable, while also highlighting the relevance that it still has today. Many comedians touch upon race and attempt to make it humorous because it is still applicable, and using personal experiences helps aid in the absurdity sometimes. Many comedians I have seen satirize the ridiculous stereotypes that other people have of the comedians race, my favorite example is Russel Peters.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that comedy can help reveal some of the awkwardness that surrounds topics like gender and race, however, I do not believe that comedy is an effective form of protest, because the main agenda of a comedian is entertainment. As someone sits through a comedic show that might touch upon controversial topics, they are not concerned about the underlying topics, as most audience members are interested in the comedic aspects. I don’t think that they are legitimate forms of protest because they are many times biased, and though comedy is a good way to address these topics, I don’t think that they effectively highlight the arguments behind topics like race or gender.
Erma Bombeck once said “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt.” Comedy has most definitely become a new outlet for individuals who want to raise awareness about issues like racism and sexism to do so in a manner that is not as serious or violent as a protest or a rally, however as mentioned in some of the comments above, there is a fine line between it being comedic and offensive to certain people. Stand up comedy is virtually incomplete without people making jokes on race and sex and while there are a lot of us who can laugh at these issues and sometimes even at ourselves, many people cannot.
ReplyDeleteAs a form of social protest, I don't believe that comedy is particularly effective. This is simply because while comedy definitely raises awareness about these issues and tackles them with a sense of straightforwardness that is admirable, its reach is extremely limited. As pointed out earlier, the audience for a stand up comedy is typically someone who is comfortable being there. The audience for these performances and protests is elite and not too far reaching and so in terms of mobilizing large numbers of people to collectively tackle a cause, it isn't particularly effective.
Comedy can play a large role in revealing the absurdity of racism and sexism. As comedy tends to go all the way with something or play something up, its take on racist and sexist issues and viewpoints allows for people of all types to be exposed to the issues while not necessarily making others feel defensive. By bringing these issues up for people to discuss in a not argumentative manner, it allows people to come together to discuss these issues. Because of this comedy is an effective form of protest if done well.
ReplyDeleteComedy can be an effective form of protest because it effectively makes people understand a side of an issue while humor allows it to be expressed in a lighter way. The examples above where legitimate forms of protest as they each looked at a social issue, racism or sexism, and took the stereotypes associated with issue and turned it on its head. For example, Emily Heller discussed feminism in way that brought up many of the facts of sexism and the ideas people have in their head regarding feminists and used them to prove the point that feminism exists because people have these sexist ideas and because it occurs to all women all the time. Louis CK’s example I thought to very effective because he made a point about racism while being white. He acknowledged the privilege of being a white male and then showed how no one else has that same privilege in a funny and effective way. He does it in a way that no one can argue with which makes it even more powerful. Personally, I think that comedy is a great way to bring to light social issues and protest against them in a way that people will actually listen to and hopefully then begin to understand.
People laugh when they hear Louis CK say, "...White people are [not] better, but being white is clearly better." He continues to list how great it is to be white. His tone, gestures, and charm makes it acceptable and funny. Being a white man allows him to say whatever he jokes about and it is acceptable. It would be completely different if he was a person of color saying what he says. The humor in comedy is an effective form of protest. The humor not only facilitates a fun time, it also works to raise awareness of the disparities between being white and a person of color, in particular being a black person.
ReplyDeleteControversial issues are usually not spoken publicly. People feel some type of ways when they hear race, gender, class, sexuality, ect, issue. Often, people stop sharing thoughts because they tend to be too sided on one issue. In particular, white people have more privileges than people of color. And many times, white people fail to recognize their privileged. When the people of color call out the privilege of whiteness, white people feel offended. However, when it has a funny tone, then it becomes more acceptable and easy to discuss their thoughts. Although, at first it might not seen as form or protest, humor is a form of protest as long as it changes the way people think at a macro level. Forms of protest are not just being an activist.