Tickling the Funny Bone: Exploring the Ethics of Humour
Padmaja Padwal
SY B.Sc.
Estimated reading time- 4 mins
So, Stephen Hawking walked into a bar…
…..Just kidding. Did you laugh? I hope you did, it’s important for my article. Everyone has at least once laughed at an ethically or morally compromised joke. Humour is a universal language, it transcends boundaries and fosters connection and joy among us through laughter. However, there is a thin line between using humour in order to foster connections and causing potential harm by perpetuating harmful stereotypes. But how do we decide where to draw the line between jokes that are funny and the ones that are in poor taste? How do we decide whether the stand up comedy show we attended last night was a hilarious depiction of the current state of our country or a plethora of crass jokes that only seemed to promote hate and further division in an already divided country? Exploring the ethics of humor is like dancing on a wire, one tiny misstep and it will lead to unintended consequences.
Now, we will explore this delicate dance of humour and ensure that we are able to brighten our moments and lift our spirits without perpetuating harm. When humor is aimed at certain high ranking individuals like presidents, prime ministers, celebrities, it is like unmasking bad guys with a cloak of satire. This is why ethical humorists make highly privileged individuals the butt of their jokes. In the US, comedians like Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert and many others are well known for their fresh takes on political situations all over the world. This way, ethical humorists hold people of authority accountable and highlight their flaws and absurdities in a light hearted way while also spreading awareness. However, when humor is targeted towards an already marginalized group, it cements biased stereotypes and you know that you are going astray. Not targeting underdogs is an important factor in being an ethical humorist. By targeting authorities, ethical humorists are able to bring about positive changes while refraining from targeting underdogs.
In today’s world, it is important to be even more cautious as social media acts as a loudspeaker and our thoughts and jokes are broadcasted across the world in an instant. A humorous quip that is able to gain hearty laughs in one part of the world might be perceived as offensive and hurtful in another. Another feature of social media that needs to be kept in mind is its permanence. The lasting nature of online content compounds the need for caution. In 2006, Joe Biden, while addressing his supporters, shared an anecdote about Indian-Americans working in convenience stores. He said, “You cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent. I’m not joking.” This was meant to be a light hearted joke, but it sparked racial controversy. Especially when he chose Kamala Harris to be his running mate in the 2020 Presidential Elections. This incident did not have many long lasting consequences for Biden’s political career but it does shed a light on how any tasteless or poorly thought out joke can haunt us anytime due to the utter permanence of social media. While this prevails, certain individuals also deliberately crack hateful jokes to instigate violence and hatred towards certain communities fully aware of the fallout. After doing so, if confronted, they not only evade responsibility for the disparaging comments but also deflect the blame and say that the audience just could not take the joke. This shows not only a complete disregard for the impact of one’s words but also a total lack of responsibility.
As society progresses, the world becomes more inclusive and accepting of certain factions of society as compared to the past. This underscores the need to be aware and mindful of the evolving social norms and cultural sensitivities. Comedians hold the power to influence people’s perceptions which makes it imperative for them to be respectful and sensitive to the diverse nature of the world. Dave Chapelle was heavily criticised for his increasingly transphobic comments during his standup specials. In one of these, he compared being trans to one day waking up and deciding that he was Chinese. This drew the ire of the LGBTQ+ community who emphasised that the trans community is already the recipient of hate and violence from several groups and the potential, such kind of humor had to further spread hate against the trans community, as this Netflix special was trending at number 3.
David Benatar, wrote in the Journal of Practical Ethics about Taking Humour (Ethics) Seriously, But Not Too Seriously. In this, he emphasised about how not only the joke matters but the interpretation and the criticisms as well as the context of it matters. A joke that resonates with one group has the potential to offend another as Joe Biden learnt from his joke about Indian Americans and as Dave Chapelle saw from his comments about the trans community. When comedy and conscience come together, they create a beautiful mix of wild amusement and sentimental richness. As we come to the end, ethical humour is not about curbing imaginative endeavours, it’s about understanding that words have power and all we need to do is carefully navigate the boundary between amusement and insensitivity.