Great read Lew, a thought I had while reading/listening is that we’re in a world now where equality and inclusivity are highly sought after and provided, so if people make comments about you punching down on a particular person because of who they are, then that speaks volumes about how they see equality should be in day to day life. Hope that makes sense, bit with the flow hahah
"Punching up, not down" isn't a rule of comedy, but it's also incorrect to say that up and down don't exist. Good comedians recognize that jokes aren't just jokes, that context is everything, that comedians do wield a form of power, and that your comedy is also a reflection of your own particular and limited perspective. As you say, good comedy is love. It's most successful when it comes from a place of understanding and doesn't involve punching at all. If the subject of your jokes is responding negatively, you should be reflecting on your understanding of the subject. This post though appears more as a reactive defense to criticism than a deep self-reflection on the meaning and importance of comedy.
Punching down does exist. It's comedy without love, without an attempt to understand your subject, and it's practiced widely. Go watch any conservative comedian joke about trans people for half their set and you'll see what punching down is. You can easily make a career out of punching down, but the basis of your career will be the lazy regurgitation of the personal biases of your audience. Just like people frequently use religion as a cover for their own personal biases, jokes can be used in the same way and when you understand structural power dynamics, you'll recognize that you do have a responsibility to use your stage responsibly. Jokes actually can be violent, because jokes can legitimize and spread views that cause real harm. You must acknowledge that, because denying it makes you appear either ignorant or disingenuous.
The greatest comedians don't need to punch down, because they know that real comedy isn't a fistfight in the first place, it's a conversation, it's an exploration of the human condition and the comedian is our tour guide. Making the audience laugh isn't the goal of great comedy, laughter is simply a tool used by great comedians to bypass the audience's defenses and help them access deeper truths without even realizing it. Laughter is the means, not the end. The best comedians expose us and themselves and manage to make us laugh while doing so.
Your audience should feel more connected to each other if your comedy is successful, they shouldn't feel validated in their biases, they should question them, they should be humbled but not hurt. If they're laughing at others, they should also be laughing at themselves, because your comedy should be capable of showing the common humanity underlying the situations you're joking about. It seems that you understand all this, but denying that comedians often use jokes to divide rather than connect undermines the entire message of your post.
Now that doesn't mean I'm saying the audience is always right, there will always be someone who criticizes your comedy unfairly. The important thing is how you respond to that criticism. You don't have to be perfect, you can make mistakes, you can learn on stage, because comedy should be a conversation and we are all students and teachers at the same time. But if you're finding that some people feel included and others are feeling excluded, you should be examining how you can improve your comedy to better communicate the love you intend to show, not devoting an essay to denying the validity of their perspective.
Great read Lew, a thought I had while reading/listening is that we’re in a world now where equality and inclusivity are highly sought after and provided, so if people make comments about you punching down on a particular person because of who they are, then that speaks volumes about how they see equality should be in day to day life. Hope that makes sense, bit with the flow hahah
Huzzah!
Could have read those words all day.
With you, in punching 😘
"Punching up, not down" isn't a rule of comedy, but it's also incorrect to say that up and down don't exist. Good comedians recognize that jokes aren't just jokes, that context is everything, that comedians do wield a form of power, and that your comedy is also a reflection of your own particular and limited perspective. As you say, good comedy is love. It's most successful when it comes from a place of understanding and doesn't involve punching at all. If the subject of your jokes is responding negatively, you should be reflecting on your understanding of the subject. This post though appears more as a reactive defense to criticism than a deep self-reflection on the meaning and importance of comedy.
Punching down does exist. It's comedy without love, without an attempt to understand your subject, and it's practiced widely. Go watch any conservative comedian joke about trans people for half their set and you'll see what punching down is. You can easily make a career out of punching down, but the basis of your career will be the lazy regurgitation of the personal biases of your audience. Just like people frequently use religion as a cover for their own personal biases, jokes can be used in the same way and when you understand structural power dynamics, you'll recognize that you do have a responsibility to use your stage responsibly. Jokes actually can be violent, because jokes can legitimize and spread views that cause real harm. You must acknowledge that, because denying it makes you appear either ignorant or disingenuous.
The greatest comedians don't need to punch down, because they know that real comedy isn't a fistfight in the first place, it's a conversation, it's an exploration of the human condition and the comedian is our tour guide. Making the audience laugh isn't the goal of great comedy, laughter is simply a tool used by great comedians to bypass the audience's defenses and help them access deeper truths without even realizing it. Laughter is the means, not the end. The best comedians expose us and themselves and manage to make us laugh while doing so.
Your audience should feel more connected to each other if your comedy is successful, they shouldn't feel validated in their biases, they should question them, they should be humbled but not hurt. If they're laughing at others, they should also be laughing at themselves, because your comedy should be capable of showing the common humanity underlying the situations you're joking about. It seems that you understand all this, but denying that comedians often use jokes to divide rather than connect undermines the entire message of your post.
Now that doesn't mean I'm saying the audience is always right, there will always be someone who criticizes your comedy unfairly. The important thing is how you respond to that criticism. You don't have to be perfect, you can make mistakes, you can learn on stage, because comedy should be a conversation and we are all students and teachers at the same time. But if you're finding that some people feel included and others are feeling excluded, you should be examining how you can improve your comedy to better communicate the love you intend to show, not devoting an essay to denying the validity of their perspective.
Only a retard could write this article.
Bars