to feel that nothing is off limits comedy wise?

[Heathcliffscathy]

when I think of things that have really made me laugh some of them would be VERY offensive to some groups (mostly religious, and I believe in god)...I'm thinking about Sarah Silverman, Dennis Leary's no cure for cancer, Chris Rock etc etc.

Comedy is about offence to a certain extent isn't it as the funniest things are the ones that are closest to the bone, laughter relieves anxiety and therefore the graver and most serious something is (like the nazi's for eg) the funnier it can be (vis the producers for eg).

Dave Allen had it in for Catholics and my catholic mother used to weep with laughter at him. Derek and Clive take the piss about Cancer to great effect.

Now there are some 'comedians' that I think are shit: Bernard Manning springs to mind...but I don't think that banning them or censoring or protesting is the way forward, just don't view!

There are threads on here regularly about topics that mner's feel are off limits to comedy, most especially special needs. But I'm pretty sure that many special needs adults wouldn't appreciate being singled out as something that cannot be a source of humour...the ability to laugh at oneself including the tragedies and limitations of our lives is really important isn't it?

I maybe totally wrong, and maybe it's only ok if it is a special needs person doing it?

Yep I was at that frankie Boyle show- he took the puss out of downs syndrome children- a woman in the front shook her head and he attacked her for it asking why she wasn't laughing- she said she had a dd with downs and he just laughed in her face. I got a refund, it was awful.

Generally I find that you can mock people in your own 'minority' group, or mock whatever it is that makes you a minority. But you can't mock someone else's 'vulnerable' (for want of a better word) minority without risking causing great offence. It's the old walk a mile in my shoes principle.

Who is that very beautiful woman with cerebral palsy who is a stand-up comic? She was in The Office and Grange Hill. I saw a bit of her stand-up act once...she had a very funny way of twisting the way that non-disabled people look at her.

I do agree with the op. A talented comedian can make pretty much anything funny, but that would take a lot of wit and intelligence.

I'm not really exposed to the crap jokes crowd atm, those text jokes that appear mere seconds after any major event/disaster.

On the subject of dead babies, there was a sketch in a show on BBC that really sticks in my mind. A woman had obviously found her baby dead in it's cot and had called a plumber. Said plumber after dilly dallying set up some kind of "system" to the baby, Woman was happy. I can't remember the show (might have been armstrong & miller). Fgs that really made me squirm, it was dark and basically horrific, it's stayed with me for ages.

Still don't agree with censorship though.

Russel Howard did a very funny sketch about his brother with epilepsy. I don't recall any comedians I have watched mentioning any sn's (not to say they don't). But to be funny it would require not laughing at people (as with all comedy) but another kind of angle, god knows what mind.

Eddie izzards "babies on spikes" skit is hilarious, for a juxtaposition with the disturbing "dead babies" sketch.

One of the problems with shit jokes is that they are repeated by bullying and taunting idiots, who use them as license to mock others in RL. Sometimes as a pack, attacking an individual.
Bit hard to turn that off,or get away from.

Goblinchild, the taunting and bullying idiots will still exist if you censor, some people are cunts, they will still be cunts no matter what. Maybe there's a gene for that.

But having professional comedians with highly offensive jokes on mainstream TV etc can set the tone and make many marginal wankers feel officially validated.
Not that it's a problem that directly affects us, if my son is taunted and mocked, he kicks the shit out of the attacker, Not being able to defend himself verbally and all.
But that's OK as a response, isn't it?

yes

The Dirty Harry Defence. 'Go ahead punk. Make my day'

[parp]

Well yes if I was taunted and mocked in an arena from which I could not escape, it would be acceptable to kick and fight against said mockers.
I'm not talking about "stupid" and "highly offensive" jokes. These will occur wether offensive jokes are permitted or not. Some people are twats and will round on those most vunerable wether allowed or not.

Censoring anything (apart from the human dna code) will not effect this at all.

It's just so disappointing when you see a talented comedian picking on someone who can't defend themselves. They have the ability to get a gag out of pretty much anything, yet they pick on gender or race or disability. Pathetic. (Jimmy Carr did a work gig I was at and went through the gamut - especially nasty about women and gypsies.)

Coinop, thankfully the cunts don't have the defence of being 'genetically' cuntish to justify their moronic behaviour. There is no justification - they probably start off with messed-up childhoods but at some point they choose to be that way.

Jokes are funny or not funny. Most jokes have the potential to offend someone. No one has a right not to be offended. Laughing at others misfortune is a basic part of comedy.

Of course there are subjects that should be off limits! What has the world come to when people think 'freedom of speech' means being able to joke about anything? Making jokes about things like abuse, the holocaust, certain things about children, etc are not on. I love edgy comedians but some things are just a step too far and bloody not on to laugh at.

But kalo, it's impossible to make a list of Things There SHould Be No Jokes About.

If a comedian isn't funny, people won't laugh and they won't be a comedian for long.

I love lots of comedy and agree that most things can be laughed at but things like abuse - especially of children, NEVER, absoloutely not and there are no excuses for making those kind of sick, sick jokes

Nothing is off limits. It's never a good idea to be pro-censorship because it's never reasonable, sensible people who get to be in charge of making the decisions about what is and is not allowed - it's always humourless unimaginative self-righteous whinyarses. And somehow, censorship policies that are supposed to protect the 'vulnerable' not only disempower people (not everyone with SN actually wants to be told what they can and can't be offended by) but are invariably used against minorities making jokes at the expense of the powerful.
ANd I love dead baby/tragedy jokes.

YANBU
Nothing should be off limits. Whatever they say will offend somebody somewhere.

I think nothing should be off limits, I guess I agree with you. People choose with their money and their remote controls. I prefer that to censorship.

There is a mumsnetter who is very againt David Mitchell because he appears next to some comics who have made vulgar jokes. I don't think that is fair, I judge each as an individual making a living. If I went to see a comic and he made jokes about the disabled, I'd probably walk out.

However Adam Hills does, and I think he's bloody hilarious. But he making them from a point of someone who is disabled. He has a routine about the special olympics which I thought was fantastic it wasn't mocking anyone just a whole situation and I really laughed.

Will try and find a youtube link in fact

Yanbu;

I will laugh at whatever I like.

Sick of whinging boring people telling me what I can and cannot find funny.

starts at 6 mins 45 seconds:

it starts with him mocking americans... I'll try not to be too offended :)

Would people who say they can laugh at whatever they want feel the same if someone was openly laughing at their child and any flaws they have and encouraging others to do so?

Humour is personal. You can't tell people what they're allowed to laugh at,. We live in a western democracy ( I think ??)

Maybe you'd feel more at home in Communist China?