• the_q@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I hate this relatively new idea that comedy has to be mean. If you have to rile the audience to be funny, you’re not funny.

    • Mr_Blott@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      If you’re the kind of person that thinks no comedy can be mean, you’re helping to destroy comedy

      Just my opinion. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. Don’t hate those that understand centuries upon centuries of schadenfreude is what made us a funny species

        • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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          10 months ago

          His reading comprehension is fine, the guy said

          If you have to rile the audience to be funny, you’re not funny. <-- A declarative statement with no gray option

          Whereas Mr_Blott is saying that sometimes, it is

          The guys even right that a lot of this isn’t even new ideas. Mean or even dark humor has been around for centuries.

            • ThrowawayPermanente@sh.itjust.works
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              10 months ago

              Actually if your reading comprehension was better you would understand that the other poster also has poor reading comprehension and would discount their support. Reading comprehension is when people agree with me.

          • ByteJunk@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            If you have to rile the audience to be funny, you’re not funny.

            But there is a “gray option” here. I read this as “you can rile up the audience and be funny, just not if that’s the only thing you do”, in context with the previous point that this sort of humour is overused and loosing its impact.

          • my_hat_stinks@programming.dev
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            10 months ago

            If the only way you can make pizza is by sticking a frozen one in your oven you can’t make pizza; if you choose to use a frozen pizza that doesn’t mean you can’t make pizza.

            You’re conflating two subtly distinct concepts. Only being able to do something one way isn’t the same as choosing to do something one way. If your only option is to rile people up, you’re not funny. That’s what these comedians are complaining about; their one joke is to punch down, which is frowned upon.

            • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              That’s just a bad analogy. That’s more like if a comedian can only copy someone else’s jokes, they’re not funny. If you wanted a pizza analogy, it’d be more like if you can only make thick crust pizza, but can’t make any other types of pizza’s, you can’t make pizza.

              Which is just not true. You just find an audience who enjoys being constantly given thick crust pizza.

              Mean/dark humor isn’t an incorrect type of humor. It is a different type of humor. If someone is good at it then they just need to stick with that audience. Is it what you’d consider high class or in good taste? Maybe not, but it’s still their humor.

              I mean it’s not like punching up is any harder than punching down. Just the audience of that comedian is more likely to not be in the group affected by it.

          • Kraven_the_Hunter@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            10 months ago

            Convenient of you to completely omit and ignore his first sentence, which happened to contain the core message. That’s why you’re both being dinged for (lack of) reading comprehension.

            Just trying to make this as stupid-simple as possible.

            • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              No? You are completely welcome to hate that kind of comedy. In fact that kind of comedy by it’s nature will have people who can’t handle it. But it’s acting like it’s some new terrible idea someone thought of recently instead of a long-standing form of comedy that just happened to hit a bad spot for some.

              It’s basically re-contextualizing it as something that has no basis when it in fact should be a type of comedy that goes without saying at this point…

              Like it wasn’t removed out of convenience it’s the core of nothing.

              At worst you could argue he is trying to say that people actually think all comedy has to be mean…which would be stupid in it’s own right because he just argues the opposite extreme in his second sentence then…Black/White instead of any form of gray argument. Like I really hope we’re not saying that the extreme point is the core of his argument…

          • the_q@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            What constitutes a joke? If I punch you in the face then say, “hey it was just a joke” is it a joke? If the punch hurt you is it because you’re soft?

            • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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              10 months ago

              You mean slapstick?

              The humor that is funny mainly because you suspend disbelief and watch something else get hurt?

              That type of comedy that practically dominated for several decades?

              The key to a lot of humor regarding misfortune is that it either isn’t regarding you, hits a point that is true but not the core of who you are, or is far away enough that you can suspend disbelief.

              In other words, yes, because they’re jokes

              I mean you can literally just watch three stooges and people will laugh at someone getting punched in the face.

              • the_q@lemmy.world
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                10 months ago

                That isn’t even the close to the point or even relevant to what I said. Slapstick isn’t random; it’s a setup situation. It isn’t attacking a stranger oh the street then expecting them to laugh about it… Goddamn you people cannot be this thick.

                Misfortune humor is commiserating. It’s punching up to the unfairness of a situation. Targeting trans people is punching down and if you can’t wrap your head around that, then I don’t know what to tell you. Just admit you lack empathy and move on.

                • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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                  10 months ago

                  Goddamn you people cannot be this thick.

                  I’d say the same thing to you honestly. You seem too stuck up for humor. You aim for extremes for everything.

                  I can have empathy for others, but not for you, who seems to purposely put yourself in situations to be offended.

                  edit: wait standup is also setup comedy…come on man. You’re literally writing situations for you to be offended in.

            • Soulg@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              Does a mean statement hurt your body in the same physical way as a punch to the face? That’s a really stupid comparison.

                • AnonTwo@kbin.social
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                  10 months ago

                  Why is someone who has experienced hardship or loss, going to a comedian who is known for mean/dark humor?

                  You can’t make humor that pleases everyone every time. That’s unrealistic.

            • Squizzy@lemmy.world
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              10 months ago

              I’d saying paying to go see a comedian who’s work you are familiar and comfortable with.

            • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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              10 months ago

              If you’re genuinely unsure whether punching someone is a joke then I don’t think you should be joking with people

                • Kusimulkku@lemm.ee
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                  10 months ago

                  You this?

                  What constitutes a joke? If I punch you in the face then say, “hey it was just a joke” is it a joke?

    • Duamerthrax@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      These people aren’t riling up the audience. They’re riling up people the audience doesn’t like.

      Also, I’m ok with comedy being “mean”, so long as the target deserves it and it’s delivered in a witty way. Too many “edgy” comedians are just recycling the same joke, which runs counter to the idea that comedy is the Subversion of Expectations.

  • Scrubbles@poptalk.scrubbles.tech
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    10 months ago

    Kevin Hart aside (I’ll let others talk about what they like or dislike about him) -

    I don’t know how anyone thinks that the hollywood “elite” are comedy friendly. I don’t know any celebrities right now that can take a joke about themselves. Either lighthearted or a good ribbing, I just see every one of them being upset and pouty. Sure they’ll laugh at others, but to each one of them they’re untouchable when it comes to jokes.

    Personally I liked the humor, for me it humanizes them and it’s like “Okay let’s ground this thing in some reality before we make you feel like you’re the most important people on the planet”, but of course god forbid they remember they’re just like us.

    • huf [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      10 months ago

      they should get frankie boyle to do it, and he’d just slag them off for 30 minutes straight

  • Sharpiemarker
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    10 months ago

    Having seen Kevin Hart live, I’m not surprised.

    It was incredibly depressing that his openers (his “Solo cup boys”) made homophobic jokes. One in particular was about how the comedian would be disappointed if his son was gay because he couldn’t take him to the strip club with him.

    Sorry that people aren’t receptive to shitty, bigoted jokes any more Kevin. Maybe you and Dave Chappelle can get together and make jokes about trans/gay people to empty audiences.

    Or in terms that you’re more familiar with, "you ‘gon learn today!’

    • snooggums@kbin.social
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      10 months ago

      One in particular was about how the comedian would be disappointed if his son was gay because he couldn’t take him to the strip club with him.

      The premise could have worked if he switched it around and said that he was going to have to go to gay strip club or Chippendale’s or something instead of being a complaint about not being able to go to his usual clubs. That would have made it supportive and accepting of his son while also highlighting his personal hangups.

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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      10 months ago

      If your humor is based on punching down then fuck off, life is shitty enough as it is for most people without having a multi millionaire laughing at them.

    • Taleya@aussie.zone
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      10 months ago

      Uh ya might want to look up the term ‘hollywood elite’, what it refers to, then pick another phrase. ‘Overpaid egoists perpetually high on their own farts’ is a good one

    • Steve
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      10 months ago

      Imagine if these guys were white….

    • somegeek@programming.dev
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      10 months ago

      Oh too bad their shows always sell out arenas. Perform to empty crowds? You people live in your heads.

      • ryepunk [he/him]@hexbear.net
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        10 months ago

        Then what are they fucking complaining about??? They aren’t canceled then?

        If the slightest push back from people who aren’t even their fans upsets them so badly then I’m sorry, we might just be dealing with soft little snowflakes. It’s a little criticism, get over it Mr. Rich guy.

  • UltraGreen [comrade/them]@hexbear.net
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    10 months ago

    It’s always terrible comedians like Kevin Hart who complain about “PC Culture” or “being woke”. And it’s because they are terrible at comedy. They can no longer fall back on just saying something racist or sexist or transphobic “as a joke” instead of actually working on material.

    There are a ton of great comics out there, but these guys? No, these guys’ time has long since passed.

    • Neil@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      Every now n’ then I unhide a comment that was hidden by my Hexbear instance block and am instantly reminded why I have a Hexbear instance block.

      • Hexagons [e/em/eir]@hexbear.net
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        10 months ago

        Wait, you’re bothered by someone saying Kevin Hart is a shitty comedian? Have I read this right? I hate to say it, but if that’s enough for you to be mad at the ebil hexbears, you should really probably just keep us blocked

        • CrispyFern [fae/faer, any]@hexbear.net
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          10 months ago

          Really weird to me the things lemmy libs choose to get offended by. I feel like we regularly post communist things that libs hate, but they only seem to point out the really benign shit.

          “I dislike Kevin Hart and prefer comedians that don’t rely on bigotry to get their jokes to land” -An opinion so foul it deserves an instance wide block, apparently huey-wut

          Reminds me of that one furry instance that defedded us because of a thread where we dunked on george bush and the iraq war jesse-wtf

        • Neil@lemmy.ml
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          10 months ago

          Honestly, I’m bothered by how aggressive and negative you guys are. Just aggression and negativity all day every day. Got sick of it.

          • ninboy@lemmy.sdf.org
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            10 months ago

            I’m seeing just one aggressive and negative person in this particular reply thread, and it’s not the Hexbear user (for once).

      • D61 [any]@hexbear.net
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        10 months ago

        HAHAH… You just volunteered to be a mole in the “Whack-A-Mole” game you silly goose!

  • OceanSoap@lemmy.ml
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    10 months ago

    Eh, barely anyone watches these award shows anyway. It’s wealthy narcissism voting for other wealthy narcissists.

  • Ghostface@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    My only rebuttal to this, is the whitehouse correspondance dinner. That’s the whole point of comedy.

    Jeselnik said something to this point when he mentioned the Boston marathon bombing. What’s funny about the bombing, nothing. But that’s why there comedians who can find humor in the darkest of places.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
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      10 months ago

      Pretty sure Seth Myers caused Trump to run for President tho. Or maybe it was his opening act

      • ClopClopMcFuckwad@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        I would say Jon Stewart was more influential for Trump running for president. Stewart had him on the Daily Show multiple times trying to lampoon Trump for being a birth certificate denyer towards Obama. Steward continually egged him on, well if you can do better why don’t you run for president?

  • TIMMAY@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    the less I hear about or see kevin hart, the better. Feel free to remove yourself from more media, kevin.

  • Frogmanfromlake [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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    10 months ago

    Jesus, every comedian whines about how they can’t make offensive jokes anymore. Just recently watched a comedy special from 2008 where they spend the first 15 minutes doing exactly that while making offensive jokes and getting lots of laughs.

    • OceanSoap@lemmy.ml
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      10 months ago

      …it’s not 2008? We’re more than a decade past that? Does “anymore” have a different meaning you?

  • SeabassDan@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    I’m not really understanding the article. Does it mention he was asked to host this year and declined? It almost seems like he’s putting it out there because

    A. He’s trying to build controversy so that he’s asked and can either publicly decline or “relunctantly” accept and say that he only did it under the condition that he could say whatever he wanted.

    Or B. He asked and they turned him down so he’s saying he never wanted to anyway.

    It all sounds fake. He has all the connections he needs to be able to host.

  • Auzy@beehaw.org
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    10 months ago

    I’m not sure why anyone watches the Oscars, or cares about them, unless you’re somehow involved.

    So, whether or not he hosts them… Whatever.

    Get Will smith to co host with Chris Rock, and thats the only time I might consider it.

  • Stanwich@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    No loss here. Take your jokes and go home. Soooooooo many others who would love the chance.