Off-color humor

Jennifer Ware, "Unjust Kidding: A Moral Evaluation of Humor" @ BKPP 11/3/15

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• published: 26 Jan 2016
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Jennifer Ware (CUNY Graduate Center) "Unjust Kidding: A Moral Evaluation of Humor" Careful analysis of humor is important because of the amnesty often granted to humorous speech acts. When someone tells a joke, they seemingly separate themselves from that which they express, and consequently we typically do not hold individuals to the same standards when they are apparently telling a joke. George Carlin, a comic famous for his off-color humor, made the following observation, “Stand-up is a socially acceptable form of aggression. You get to name the targets, you get to fire the bullets… and the wonderful part is, after you’ve finished, you then say, ‘Hey, can’t you take a joke? This is humor, sir! What’s the matter with you?” Individuals intending to express a vicious position without having to take full responsibility for their words may use this greater forgiveness divisively, and therefore we should be careful about granting such amnesty. In this presentation, I will review some of the more common formal and colloquial accounts that aim to explain why and when jokes are offensive. I will go on to develop a position informed by empirical evidence that challenges the view that facts about the speaker largely, if not entirely, determine the moral character of a joke. Instead, I suggest the effects of jokes play a significant role in determining their moral characters. --- For more info about Brooklyn Public Philosophers, check us out at: bkpp.tumblr.com facebook.com/brooklynpublicphilosophers