The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
Today’s question:
QUESTION: Do you think comedians try to take their act too far as far as content goes while hiding behind the role of a “comedian,” or do you think they should be able to say what they want, even if it does mentally hurt someone? This goes for ALL comedians.
Talk about it.
30 comments
You have a choice of going to see a comedian or not. They can get pretty raunchy and political. On TV they have to keep within the bounds of decency. On cable they can say what they want and do. Who would want to see a woke comedian? Not a prude but I find comedians that stay away from sex can have a better set.
No
If ya’ don’t like the show; leave
If ya’ don’t like the comedian; don’t go
GHEEZE !!!
No. Being in the arts myself, I don’t like restrictions placed by government knuckleheads.
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No… no limit.
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If ya get offended, it’s up to you whether to get your butt-hurt, snowflake self out of there … or not.
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#1A
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I think that comedians can say whatever they want as long as it a) is smart/clever/funny and b) isn’t intended to solely be vile or hateful. I’ve said it for years about shows like Southpark; the terrible, awful things they say and do are meant to be satire and people smart enough to realize that shouldn’t be penalized by stupid people who take it seriously and use it as justification for their hate. I’m a pretty liberal “woke” person, but I’m down to listen to whatever comedy as long as it’s clever or funny (which is also why I think that the “variety/comedy” show they have on the evenings on Fox News is absolutely awful because it isn’t actually funny or smart at all. It’s just bad.)
@Jessica
You are saying comedians can say whatever they want as long as “you” think it’s ok?
Interesting that there is a whole world of people out there that find things funny that you don’t. Crazy right?
@Jessica – I assume you’re referring to “Gutfeld” on Fox at night? You know – the show that is burying every other late night show in the ratings? Certainly you understand that comedy is 100% subjective, so let me fix your comment for you: “…because I THINK it isn’t actually funny or smart at all. It’s just bad.”
South Park is generally hilarious. It has its ups and downs but you are missing out if you have not seen the fairly recent Harry & Meghan episode.
I don’t go to comedy shows because the ones I’ve seen aren’t funny to me, but it’s my choice not to go. That’s what it’s all about, if you don’t like it, don’t go, if a lot of cussing is your thing, then by all means go, and have a good time. Comedians in this country are protected by the US Constitution just like anybody else, they have the right to say anything they please.
Rodney Dangerfield, Dom DeLouise, Don Rickles, Rich Little, Phyllis Diller, and Johnny Carson were among the best, and so far, nobody comes even close.
Dawg-
Comedy has come a long way in the past 50 years. Try checking out someone who is still alive. And, no, Rich Little doesn’t count because his career died in the mid 70s.
So I guess George Carlin and Richard Pryor don’t make the cut?
Can you imagine Don Rickles in today’s world. They would run the poor guy out of town on a rail. Loved that guy
First amendment. Enough said.
Maybe those who can’t find anything funny about themselves should stay away from any comedy venue – including the comics in the newspapers.
There are boundaries, if they cross a line and people don’t like it, they don’t work. There’s probably a large amount of people that wouldn’t see Chapelle now because of his views, and you couldn’t pay me to be in the same room as Kathy Griffin or any of those people on the View.
I grew up often hearing the then popular prose, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me”. Today’s generation needs tougher skin.
Only one boundary:
“Don’t Say Gay”
-R. Desantis
Comedians set their own boundaries, under the (fading) blanket of the First Amendment. I set my boundaries for what I want to hear/listen to. If boundaries are so obscene there is a limited audience, well, then that would translate to limited income, in general. Where boundaries are needed is in D.C., where many in a certain party need to have boundaries on how much of our lives they must control.
The only way to know those ‘boundaries’ is to test the boundaries, and that’s what comedy does.
Smart comedians know their audience.
No limits. If you are easily offended stay home, or change the channel.
I remember seeing Paul Mooney in San Francisco, and man did he upset people. Some walked out, but most stayed. He was certainly a bit too militant for me, but with such an incredible resume I wanted to give him a chance. His writing career eclipsed his stand up career. A brilliant man and I’m glad to have seen him live before he passed on.
I believe Dave Chappelle now carries that torch. He upsets black people for not being militant enough, and white people for pointing out things they may not want to consider. I believe humor that provokes thought is especially powerful.
We are all going to die soon, so don’t take yourself too seriously.
We are lucky to have the First Amendment that prevents a vague term like “limits” from being twisted by government to prevent speech it doesn’t like. Anyone who advocates for someone else setting the “limits” is making the same mistake that Cypher makes in The Matrix. He prefers the comfortable illusion of his matrix but is assuming that comfort level won’t be changed by his rulers. Comedians limited today – you limited tomorrow.
Sam Kinison, George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Wanda Sykes to name a few, imagine how they might comment upon biden harris regime . . . . .
Oh golly! Yes there have to be boundaries…… everything anybody plans to say should be previewed and moderated!
That’s the only way somebody else can determine whether the comment is fit for others to hear… or read.
I THINK LINDTHEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY JUST ABOUT ANYTHING OR ANY KIND OF JOKE THEY WANT TO TELL AS LONG AS IT DOES NOT CONTAIN GAY AND OR RACIST CONTENT LET’S FACE IT SOMEBODY IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE OFFENDED BUT THEY SHOULD REALIZE THAT THE COMEDIAN THEY ARE LISTENING TO AND OR WATCHING IS THERE TO MAKE THEM LAUGH AND I HAVE ALWAYS HEARD LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE
You could have saved a whole bunch of capital letters by just answering “yes!”
No gay or racial content ?
OK Linda… 2 movie suggestions for you… “Blazing Saddles” and “Norman, Is That You?”
If any of that offends you, you’d better high tail it back to the convent.
I don’t like bounderies on any artists. I suppose there are some who go over the line, Andrew Dice Clay, but you don’t have to listen to him if you don’t like him. Calling for violence is probably the only limit I would say is not okay.
Anyone who gets offended by a comedian is an idiot. Their job is to say words arranged in a sentence designed to elicit a laugh. That’s all. They are not up there preaching their point of view lol.
Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me! If you get hurt by words, you have a weak mind and that’s what’s wrong with society, a bunch of weak minded crybabies!
Eddie Murphy doing his Ralph Kramden /Ed Norton routine….
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