Every first and third Tuesday, Brew Works in Bethlehem hosts an open mic night for aspiring comedians. I have attended several events, particularly because my friend is interested in becoming involved in the business. Good beer and good laughs – what could go wrong?
Every first and third Tuesday, I find myself privy to the uncomfortable silence following racist, sexist, or homophobic jokes. Just this week, a man walked up to the stage and said “I hate women, they’re crazy. I also haven’t been laid in awhile.” He then proceeded to make a series of racist and homophobic comments, and none of them drew a laugh besides when he made jokes about how not funny the audience found him. Every week there seems to be someone who makes a “joke” about police …show more content…
One needs power to be able to commit an “-ism.” The female comedian can make jokes about being a woman and being Asian and being an immigrant because she is experiencing all of these marginalized identities. So although she might possess prejudices against other groups, such as men or white people, she does not possess the power to be racist or sexist. Her jokes poke fun at the inequalities she experiences every day, without making light of them. The white male comedians, however, approach these topics from a dominant stance. Making fun of the struggles of marginalized groups without being a member of a marginalized group isn’t funny – it’s hateful and racist and sexist, and serves to further reinforce the power dynamics that place white, male, cisgender, heterosexual individuals at the …show more content…
It challenges entertainers and audiences to question what they notice about the world around them, notice how human behavior can be ironic or interesting, and think about what happens in everyday life that can be shocking or strange. Comedy is brilliant, but it cannot erase “the ever-present power differential afforded Whites by the culture and institutions that make up the system of advantage and continue to reinforce notions of White superiority” (Tatum, 1997, pg. 128). Moya and Markus make this connection in their piece through their analysis of comic artists who portrayed Obama using black stereotypes. “Playing with stereotypes” is not something that should be taken lightly when considering the vast implications of these stereotypes throughout history, as well as the hatred behind the existence of such
Every first and third Tuesday, I find myself privy to the uncomfortable silence following racist, sexist, or homophobic jokes. Just this week, a man walked up to the stage and said “I hate women, they’re crazy. I also haven’t been laid in awhile.” He then proceeded to make a series of racist and homophobic comments, and none of them drew a laugh besides when he made jokes about how not funny the audience found him. Every week there seems to be someone who makes a “joke” about police …show more content…
One needs power to be able to commit an “-ism.” The female comedian can make jokes about being a woman and being Asian and being an immigrant because she is experiencing all of these marginalized identities. So although she might possess prejudices against other groups, such as men or white people, she does not possess the power to be racist or sexist. Her jokes poke fun at the inequalities she experiences every day, without making light of them. The white male comedians, however, approach these topics from a dominant stance. Making fun of the struggles of marginalized groups without being a member of a marginalized group isn’t funny – it’s hateful and racist and sexist, and serves to further reinforce the power dynamics that place white, male, cisgender, heterosexual individuals at the …show more content…
It challenges entertainers and audiences to question what they notice about the world around them, notice how human behavior can be ironic or interesting, and think about what happens in everyday life that can be shocking or strange. Comedy is brilliant, but it cannot erase “the ever-present power differential afforded Whites by the culture and institutions that make up the system of advantage and continue to reinforce notions of White superiority” (Tatum, 1997, pg. 128). Moya and Markus make this connection in their piece through their analysis of comic artists who portrayed Obama using black stereotypes. “Playing with stereotypes” is not something that should be taken lightly when considering the vast implications of these stereotypes throughout history, as well as the hatred behind the existence of such