Stand-up comedy may never have been as popular as it is today. From August 2023 to July 2024, the top 25 comedians in the U.S. sold a total of 7,063,839 tickets and held a total of 1,557 performances across the United States. And even if you're not a big fan of the genre, it's a great way to spend an evening.
That is, until the comedian steps over the line and the comedy turns into a tragedy. Recently, one woman shared a story about how she was enjoying a stand-up show until the comedian insulted her appearance. Her humiliation and tears sparked a conversation online: where is the line between jokes and bullying?
A comedian made fun of an audience member's looks, but instead of being amused, she left in tears
Image credits: Phil Hearing / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
The woman just wanted to enjoy a pleasant evening with her mother, but was humiliated in front of a crowd
Image credits: Daniel Martinez / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Summer_rain1109
Image credits: A. C. / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
It matters whether the comedian's intent was to insult
Everyone has a different sense of humor. But where is the line between jokes and insults, especially when comedians are doing crowd work? Was Dave Chappelle right when he said, "Everything is funny until it happens to you"? Or should comedians have more empathy when talking about real people?
We could say that it comes down to intent: did the comedian want to insult the person, or was he making some observations about culture, society at large, or something else? In a previous interview for Bored Panda on cringe comedy, assistant professor of English at Keuka College, Dr. Steven S. Kapica explained that comedy is not supposed to be about punching down.
"If the intent is to elicit laughter at the expense of someone else's being, then it's hack comedy," Kapica pointed out the difference. "If the intent is to complicate, transform, defend, speak truth to power, or even self-immolate, then the source of the [laughter] is freed of ethical transgression."
Following up a routine with "It was just a joke!" almost always comes off as punching down. Laughing at another person's expense can often be damaging, especially to marginalized communities.
"We like to believe that punching up or punching down is obvious, easy to spot," Kapica said. "No one really wants to be Biff Tannen (Back to the Future). But systemic prejudices can easily be traded on in ways that not only perpetuate negative comedic tropes, but reinforce underlying, supremacist worldviews."
There are no bad words or subjects; comedy is an open playing field. But Kapica points to George Carlin's philosophy of comedy as the standard: "Carlin's career and body of work is evidence for his commitment to punching up."
He quotes the comedian from his 1990 HBO special, Doin’ it Again: "It's the context that counts. It's the user. It's the intention behind the words that makes them good or bad. The words are completely neutral. The words are innocent… It's the context that makes them good or bad."
Image credits: Michel Grolet / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Crowd work requires the comedian to be skilled in improv and emotional intelligence
Stand-up comedians who do crowd work are having their moment on social media. The likes of Matt Rife and Gianmarco Soresi are currently racking up millions of views on their videos where they interact with their audiences.
But crowd work is not just simply having a chat with audience members. It's not making observations at them either. As Comedians On The Loose note in their blog post on crowd work, it's an art form. And there are several conditions for a comedian to be good at crowd work:
- Be a good listener and be comfortable with small talk. "It's important to let go of your ego and work with whatever other person gives you," the comedians write. A comedian who's good at crowd work needs to be able to catch details and not be afraid to venture into the unknown. After all, sometimes people don't give you a lot, but you always have to have a response prepared.
- Improv comedy only works if the other person is into it. This story is a good example of when crowd work goes awry. A good comedian would spot that the person they're talking to is not enjoying being put on the spot. That's why emotional intelligence is crucial for any comedian.
- Crowd work needs to have a direction and a reason. Crowd working just for crowd working's sake never works and falls flat. A comedian needs to ask themselves what they are trying to accomplish. "You're building a rapport with them and keeping them at ease," Comedians On The Loose explains.
But what do you think, Pandas? Was the comedian out of line? Or is nothing off-limits in comedy? Let us know your opinions in the comments!
Netizens were quick to deduce who the mystery comedian is
Most commenters sided with the woman: "[They] are not comedians, they are masked bullies"
Other people shared similar stories: "They just humiliate people and think it's funny"
