I was recently invited to be a co-organiser of a stand-up comedy festival. I’d never done one before so I was given the rundown before we got to work.
The first thing they told me is that over the past ten(ish) years, comedy festival audiences had completely changed from people coming out to laugh, to people coming out to find ways to be offended, like people who once rode roller coasters for the fear and thrill, now riding them to see how much they could sue for being intentionally frightened.
And it’s true. I saw it actually happening. Every night of comedy two or three people would yell out “inappropriate” or “intolerant” instead of just laughing at what were essentially jokes told in a place centred around joking.
People are dogshit now. We’ve lost our fucking way. We’ve actually gone to war with humour and laughter.
I was recently invited to be a co-organiser of a stand-up comedy festival. I’d never done one before so I was given the rundown before we got to work.
The first thing they told me is that over the past ten(ish) years, comedy festival audiences had completely changed from people coming out to laugh, to people coming out to find ways to be offended, like people who once rode roller coasters for the fear and thrill, now riding them to see how much they could sue for being intentionally frightened.
And it’s true. I saw it actually happening. Every night of comedy two or three people would yell out “inappropriate” or “intolerant” instead of just laughing at what were essentially jokes told in a place centred around joking.
People are dogshit now. We’ve lost our fucking way. We’ve actually gone to war with humour and laughter.
This definitely happened.
Maybe you just hired shit comedians
You sound like someone who would yell out “inappropriate”.
ok I take it back, pulling this crap is the height of goddamn comedy.
Have you met me?? Have you even looked at the last half dozen comments I’ve left any given day?
My friend, you are doing the thing. You’re saying it is everyone else that’s the problem.
You sound like someone who would shout racial slurs and say “I’m just doing a bit!”