Is anything off limits for comedy?

[Boltrig]

Someone told a Madeline McCann joke at uni today. Half the class laughed, half just sat, stony faced.

This got us talking; Is anything ever too taboo for comedic purposes?

I mean, look at 9/11. At the time no one could have thought of laughing at anything related to it, but some comedians have performed routines related to hijacking / Ground Zero / Freedom tower.

A secondary point for those who say nothing is off limits; how long does it take for the tragedy to lessen before you can laugh?

[jcorishas]

What's the difference between Pope John Paul II and Madeleine McCann?

The pope died a virgin.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Hostile-Eagle]

Their will always be someone makeing jokes about tradgic events, the true fault is that of the audience that laughs, this promotes the comic. Also people have different sences of humor i for example have dark sence of humor, exp. 100 iraqi civilians died? well hope they got some other terroist with the bomb haha!

[fahrenheit]

laughing and what we find as humor is all psychological. sparring all the details humor is simply what appeals to our id (or our inner animalistic side) that is too quick to be stopped by our proper pc guidelines.

so, anything that is considered taboo is made funny by most normal people

[lumpypaint]

as said in a south park episode, it takes 7 years ( i think if i remember correctly) before a tragedy becomes funny... like AIDS.

but really anything that offends a minority race or religion is where the line gets drawn, yet black comedians can walk all over whites in their jokes, but if one guy accidentally uses the N word he has to kiss jessie jackson's ass in front of everyone on national TV.

[Hostile-Eagle]

At 11/21/07 09:37 PM, lumpypaint wrote: as said in a south park episode, it takes 7 years ( i think if i remember correctly) before a tragedy becomes funny... like AIDS.

but really anything that offends a minority race or religion is where the line gets drawn, yet black comedians can walk all over whites in their jokes, but if one guy accidentally uses the N word he has to kiss jessie jackson's ass in front of everyone on national TV.

I completly agree, white people cant even make a remark involving "blacks", even though in the BLACK community we are considered the "whites" so if it really is that offensive to those individuals, dont call people white, call them caucasian. Or just learn to deal with it.

[PhoenixTails]

Shakespeare said it perfectly : Comedy is tragedy + time.

[Boltrig]

At 11/21/07 10:19 PM, PhoenixTails wrote: Shakespeare said it perfectly : Comedy is tragedy + time.

lol. Thats an equation I like.

[LordZeebmork]

At 11/21/07 09:37 PM, lumpypaint wrote: black comedians can walk all over whites in their jokes, but if one guy accidentally uses the N word he has to kiss jessie jackson's ass in front of everyone on national TV.

Welcome to racist America.

But meh, it doesn't even take that much time for tragedies to become funny. Just look at VTech.

[InnerChild548]

Really, nothing is off-limits, if the joke is "locked". Then we're just hiding it.

[SmilezRoyale]

There's nothing you can do, it's freedom of being an asshole [Speech]
you have no right to stop them, but you have the right to type the /ignore asshole in your consol.

[EnzeruAkuma]

At 11/21/07 07:52 PM, Boltrig wrote: A secondary point for those who say nothing is off limits; how long does it take for the tragedy to lessen before you can laugh?

Depends on the idiocy of the people and their government.

[SizZlE666]

Ahahahahahaha.

[SEXY-FETUS]

What's the difference between a pizza and a jew?
A pizza doesn't scream when you put it in the oven.
What's the worse thing about eating bald pussy?
Putting the diaper back on.
What do you call a mexican 5 year old girl without any male reletives?
A virgin.
There you go racism, pedophilia and racist pedophilia.
To answer your question. No.

[fli]

Nothing is sacred...
I made a few joke posts on 9-11 that were so wrong on many levels...

[Drakim]

Isn't that the point of freedom of speech? That you can talk about what you want without limits? To say that "you may not joke and this and that" would be to throw away freedom of speech into the trash.

[LadyGrace]

Nothing is off limits.

Now, if you get shit for your joke, you have to deal with that. But it's all about freedom of speech. Say anything you want, but if people get upset, you have to be prepared for that. I'm willing to laugh at pretty much anything because I think most people take stuff too seriously. Just because you joke about rape doesn't mean you condone it, or just because you joke about 9/11 doesn't mean you approve of terrorist acts, etc. Completely different things.

[Empanado]

Not trying to make a cheesy one-liner, but...
There's no such thing as a "taboo" joke. There are only people who won't laugh at it.