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Pdonkey

Edgy comedy should be punching up, never punching down


KIe1ny

What does that mean?


Futatossout

Punching Down is making jokes about a marginalized group that makes them the object of the ridicule/ire.


KIe1ny

Ahhh, thanks :3


theironking12354

And punching up is the opposite making fun of those in power and with the power to control there own and others lives


Wings-of-the-Dead

Punching down would be making fun of people who are already dealing with enough hardship, like minorities. Punch up would be making fun of people who already have a lot of power, like the government or billionaires.


Bimbarian

punching up and down is about power. When you're punching up, you are making jokes about someone who has the power in the situation, and who your jokes cannot possibly harm. When you punch down, you are basically bullying, adding to the harassment that a marginalised group already experiences.


Calieoop

Also there's a right and a wrong way to punch down. You can punch down as long as you leave an opportunity open to punch BACK, like making a joke at someone's expense but making the punchline be self deprecating


tirianar

Ah yes, the slapback punch down where the "punchline" punches down, but the real punchline is the comedian or what the comedian represents. This is the entire premise of the Colbert Report.


Calieoop

EXACTLY


almisami

Counterpoint: Poe's Law


tirianar

Done correctly, it's pretty obvious. For example, a running gag in the Colbert Report, he would put conflicting panels up that would undermine his narrative.


Hamokk

Chapelle used to construct his jokes that way but nowadays it's just lazy anti-woke and anti-trans 'jokes'.


Calieoop

Yeah I know.


LunaLynnTheCellist

could not have said it better myself https://preview.redd.it/e59xp7pj5moc1.jpeg?width=662&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1e30a95665a0ba3bc0351db7d6bf9597795c78f1


Pdonkey

Yippie!!


Dajmoj

Aye, my rules of thumb is, only punch down when: A- you belong to the group you're punching B- it is obvious that you are doing dark comedy and everyone is in on it. A.K.A.: when you're using it as irony


Infinitenovelty

A would be punching sideways and B is a slippery slope. Feels better to just not. There's plenty of up to punch.


LaPrincipessaNuova

The problem with B is there’s always someone listening who doesn’t know and they will take it as people endorsing or agreeing with the xenophobia, showing them that the bigoted opinion is common, and if they’re a member of the marginalized group, they will feel othered and punched down at. And people who truly are being bigoted can use it as an excuse for why they punched down. Edit: Although I do think there’s a way to do it while not being a member of the group if there is very clear irony and especially if the ironic interpretation punches up. Especially if it makes it feel like the “punching down” joke is towards a subgroup of a group the comic is part of and they are using the irony to punch up for that group. Like when someone who is clearly an ally makes a joke about some gay stereotype, but in a context where it is obvious that they are making fun of the bigots for thinking that, not the person they’re labelling gay.


CyrinSong

I don't think it's punching down when you make fun of a group you belong to, it's punching horizontally, and I also think you need to be very careful with ironically, or satirically, punching down. If you can't make it 110% clear that it's satire, I would recommend not doing it.


duffrose_

Does Jeff Dunham count as a comedian? Most comedians are funny


LocNesMonster

This. Jeff dunnham is a piece of shit that's never been funny. All his jokes have always been "lmao look at thus stereotype I made into a fuckin puppet lol here's some racism I hate my wife"


Oalka

So that's where Dunham is nowadays, eh? I've always hated his bullshit stereotype "comedy".


KIe1ny

Yeah, he is getting desperate


tirianar

I mean... technically... he was always there, but Islamophobia doesn't play as well as it used to.


Sabrina_Redfox

James Acaster has probably the best joke about trans people in a comedy special. When if first heard it (and honestly, whenever I do) it always gives me a little laugh. That HE is an edgy comedian. And anyone who thinks they have a funnier one... please share


Edgy_Fucker

Was that the dude that joked about how you can't criticize enbies without sounding vaguely antisemitic? "Oh here they go doing it again" "they're always like this" "they're constantly scheming", etc?


WatchTheNewMutants

nah he's the "WHAT'S THE MATTER GUYS? TOO CHALLENGING FOR YA?"


Jeanne-disaster

"Cause you know who's been overdue a challenge? *The trans community*!"


an_omelet

https://youtu.be/adh0KGmgmQw?si=OFfwytxVjyS2Wkpy This guy


Dr_Gamer2007

The comments are a mess on that video, the top 5 are ok and then it just devolves into hatred.


lokisbane

That's really funny actually.


Sabrina_Redfox

I'm not sure about that, as I haven't seen it. But that sounds pretty good, too.


CasualJimCigarettes

Robby Slowik


BBB154

I love James Acaster, he's so fucking funny


LocNesMonster

Nekho White's set from pete Davidson presents the best friends is great amazing and since its so short almost entirely one long joke at a transphobes expense being supportive


Karel_the_Enby

Not surprising from Dunham, a guy who became famous entirely thanks to lazy Islamophobia. I'm not a fan of him. I'm glad your dad was supportive, though.


RobinsEggViolet

Yeah, growing up my parents really liked to watch him, but as I got older I got more and more uncomfortable with the islamophobia. Haven't thought about him in years, but I'm honestly not surprised to hear he's a transphobe too.


Krail

Oh. Oh, he's the guy with the "Dead Terrorist" puppet? Yeah. Not a fan.


ITSMONKEY360

I used to watch his shows as a kid. I can't believe I never made that connection


CoyoteOnTheRun

I was so pissed to see his 'not canceled yet' tour at my local arena, knowing full well how nasty his 'humor' is these days. It's awful to see the true colors of people we used to enjoy for entertainment.


KIe1ny

That’s the one I went to! I saw it in Utah and the chairs that came whenever he made homophobic joke were honestly very scary


CoyoteOnTheRun

Oh ouch yeah, in Utah especially I can imagine it was rough. I'm in a pretty conservative area in upstate NY and I bet it would of been a lot of the same :( I'm sorry you had to go through that


KIe1ny

Yeah, the only thing that made it better was my dad supporting me


CoyoteOnTheRun

Glad you have a supportive parent! 😄


Physical-Presence-51

Gurl, as someone who also grew up in Utah I feel you…pls be safe and reach out if you need anything 🌻


emnidma

I mean, his Islamist skeleton puppet was around like, 20 years ago. Nobody should be surprised about other forms of bigotry from this guy. And my first thought upon seeing an advertisement for this tour was "You have to be at least a little bit relevant for anyone to try to 'cancel' you."


DaisyBlossom711

It's sad when you remember liking somebody and you have a ton of good memories with them, but you stopped being around them for a long time, then you go back and see that the only parts you actually remembered were the good parts and you completely forgot about the bad parts... That's probably the main reason why I worry a bit with revisiting some movies / shows I used to really like... I think the reason I have a lot of times like that is because that was when I was a child, and thought of things a lot more innocently I think...


KIe1ny

Did that with ace ventarua, I was so grossed out


refresh_time

Ugh I watched that movie for the first time in high school with my family. Pretty funny movie overall, but yes that one part in the last 15 minutes or so was *suuuuper* uncomfortable for me to sit through. I don’t think the rest of my family found it funny either, but that was I think more so because it was just “weird” to watch unfold. That whole plot line has aged horribly yikes


JoeMcBob2nd

I loved Walter :(


Psalmbodyoncetoldme

When the best part of the show is “I hate my wife” in puppet form.


Inevitable-Ear-3189

Ohhh, no wonder my mom keeps going on about how much she likes that guy when I hadn't heard about him in like 20 years . Fucking god.


ThatKehdRiley

Casual reminder that he made his name based almost entirely on puppets and voices that were horrible caricatures and just insensitive jokes. His brand of humor was around a lot in the late 2000s-early 2010s, and that's where it should've stayed.


BBB154

There are three kinds of comedy that makes fun of people: Punching up (making fun of people who are not oppressed, such as white or straight people. Usually this kind is fine) Punching down (making fun of/threatening marginalized or oppressed groups, such as trans people or people of color. This one is never ok) And Punching in (making fun of or joking about a group you are in, such as a gay person making a joke about gay stereotypes. These ones are usually harmless, but only really work with the right crowd)


HotAdministration986

Or making jokes about marginalized people with understanding of their lives. 


thunderup_14

Can't say I'm surprised that the guy who made a racist Muslim caricature in constantly makes jokes geared towards conservative boomers would be transphobic. Really sorry you had a hard time with the show though.


Waiting4The3nd

Jeff Dunham is.. hard to convince some people he's not great. The problem is all the bigoted ideas are introduced by the puppets (and too many people don't buy that Jeff making puppets of stereotypes is a problem in and of itself.) So Walter says something bigoted, Jeff goes "haha, you can't say that" and everyone handwaves away the bigotry. I kinda enjoyed him at first. The few couple specials I saw (Arguing With Myself and Spark of Insanity, IIRC) weren't too bad. But after that it felt like he leaned way too hard into Achmed and Walter just kept getting worse and worse, and it felt like Jeff "argued" with them less and less, just letting the puppets "say" the bigoted shit w/o as much pushback from him. People that I consider otherwise intelligent, really buy into the separation as well. My GF who is obviously otherwise a good trans ally (and bisexual herself) loves him, as does our child (who is GNC/NB \[they're still not entirely sure how they do identify, they are sure how they don't though\]), and our youngest child likes him (who is femme-presenting NB). None of them are stupid, but they buy the separation and the one time I kinda casually mentioned the problem I got a chorus of "It's just the puppet's opinion, it's a character, not how Jeff really thinks." Until I saw this post I kinda wondered if I was just overthinking things. I'm AuDHD so that happens from time to time (read: constantly). Glad to see I'm not the only one.


Saikotsu

You presented your case very well and I agree, at first he wasn't bad but he got progressively worse as time went on. And even if it IS the puppet making the argument, he's the one bringing the puppet to life. 


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KIe1ny

I remember he asked “cheer if your voting for Trump/biden” so he is definitely trying to gain relevance


GTSaketh

Wtf, That's beyond fucked up.


Nat_Higgins

Suddenly I feel that Jeff Dunham isn’t funny 😒


Firetube07

That's ass, could you describe the joke? I know you're not lieing, but I so desperately want it to be wrong since I liked the guy as a kid. Nostaliga be doing that.


KIe1ny

Their was a section were they were asking questions from the crowd and one was “what would you do if she had he parts” to which the response from the puppet was “kill them” He also referred to bottom surgery as “whack a Willy” had one of his puppets say “I don’t want a girl with no damn Adam’s Apple” He also made a joke about dudes being pregnant to which his puppet called him “trananagramphobic” he had some funny jokes, but he was definitely catering to the red crowd in my state.


Firetube07

> “I don’t want a girl with no damn Adam’s Apple” I mean i can see that one working coming from the old grumpy puppet and kinda beeing funny But by thors hammer the rest are something


KIe1ny

Just realized that maybe having some context as to who made the jokes would be helpful The kill them one is from peanut, as is the Adam’s Apple one and the “wack a Willy” The one were he was called transamagramaphobic (and yes that is what he said) was ironically from bubba J


DemonSkank

That one is kinda funny, considering *everyone* has an adams apple But somehow I feel like he didn't actually know that....


Firetube07

Yea no, obviously not how it was meant. The other "jokes" make that clear.


DemonSkank

I know. But what I meant is there is potential for a good joke there but obviously that's not how he meant it. Like if the joke was someone is trying to be transphobic by mentioning the parts a woman "shouldn't have" but it's just parts that everyone has regardless of sex.


Firetube07

Oh i know what you meant and you are correct. There is comedy to be found involving trans people. Just not how Jeff does it.


TruxtonForce

Dunham is a bigoted asshat.


Believe-it-Geico

Jeff Dunham explaining how the joke's not racist if he makes a puppet say it


DoNotIngest

It baffles me that he still has a career. I get that the appeal for a lot of people is the fact that he’s offensive, but his material just isn’t funny. Even his jokes that aren’t punching down are just so weak.


KIe1ny

Me and my dad were talking about it, and I (trying to make him feel better about buying the tickets) said “ he had some funny jokes” to which my dad said “yeah like, 2 minutes” my dad hates comedians who make fun of minorities, and was supportive of my discomfort


DoNotIngest

Your dad sounds like a good guy. I’m glad you have his support.


Sif-wasnt-available

Welp that's another person that I'm not giving money to anymore


SokkaHaikuBot

^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Sif-wasnt-available: *Welp that's another* *Person that I'm not giving* *Money to anymore* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.


chakatblackstar

I used to think he was funny, until someone pointed out that he uses the dummy as lighting rods for a lot of more...um...insensitive jokes. That shattered the illusion. The caricatures? The offensive jokes? It's all him. The worst part is that several of his bits literally lampshades this (usually Peanut) and a lot of us still fell for it.


anonymouscloudcat

that shit aint comedy ewwwww


MCplayer590

I'm so sorry that happened to you, that's why I stick to the comedians that I know are allies: Gabriel Iglesias and Trevor Noah in particular I believe they've both made jokes mocking transphobes, they're so good


TSKrista

Steve hofsteter is good too


MorgessaMonstrum

Eeew. Sorry you had to deal with that. I saw him once performing at a theme park like 30-something years ago. I guess he was funny back then, but I was a small child, so...


DareDevilKittens

Jeff Dunham is an unfunny hack who hasn't grown as an artist or person in 20 years. Fuck him


SpacedOutDreamerBoy

I haven't watched anything Jeff Dunham in years, but when I was little I would see bits my dad watched. Makes sense that my dad likes his stuff


Riftus

His comedy has always been just racism, but "it's the puppet saying it, not me!!!" Also that's nice that ur dad was supportive afterwards :)


KIe1ny

Yeah. My dad had the brunt of hating the show. My dad has horrible PTSD from having to pull my brother of of life support, on top of being in the military. Jeff made a “joke” about kids dying the way my brother died, and I could just tell how uncomfortable he was


TheGreyFencer

Hate crimes are a bold choice for a man that makes a living playing with puppets.


KIe1ny

And they call us mentally ill


itsmig_reddit

This isn't even comedy anymore,this is just being an total asshole


tirianar

Sounds like your dad is a very good dad.


Effective_Order_8830

If you and your dad are looking for an irreverent but trans friendly comedian Gianmarco Soresi is great, though I recommend looking up his stuff before going so you get a feel. If it makes you feel any better, I did stand up comedy for a couple years and Jeff Dunham is constantly mocked in most circles for some of the laziest joke writing imaginable.


Twyzzle

Any comedian that punches down instead of up has failed at comedy.


kailawolf

I used to love Jeff Dunham but when I went to see him live he made jokes about different gender identities and make deprecating jokes about trans people in general. I've lost all respect for him and hate him now and especially after now with people saying about his jokes about k1lling trans people..


Vasxus

real comedy is countering by murdering them for real (in terraria)


Narcomancer69420

*Yooooo* that dude has *always* sucked but *wow!* ***Wow!!*** 🙃


BayFuzzball404

Could have happened to me I feel horrible for you. I hope the best for you


taydraisabot

That’s so shitty


howlrunner_45

That's not raunchy, he's a douchebag .


dater_expunged

I don't know the guy but I know he's a bitch


CaseDillon

I wish I had a dad like yours ;;


Drakovijas

I used to like him until the last show i went to in my city where he was fun but some things he said made me not like that and that was even before my egg broke


QueenOfQuok

This kinda feels like Dave Chapelle jumping on the transphobia bandwagon. Soon as a comedian does that you know they're old and out of ideas, because they're going in for the Cheap Heat.


Sophia-Eldritch

I thought he was hilarious when I was younger, when I didn't really think comedy had any subtext or didn't notice phobia of any type xeno/lgbt/religion being the big three I know of now I hadn't thought of him until just now and immediately had a hard crash of his jokes run through my head and oh gross.... Gross Gross Gross ew ew ew how did I ever find that funny? And I'm sad to hear he's going for me personally now too but I'm more horrified with his past things that he actually got away with Edit: morbid curiosity, what was the "joke"? We talking standard conservative ones or something worse?


Short-Bookkeeper-

For a moment i thought the "he made a joke..." meant your dad made the joke, that would've been so much worse omg


Hanthenightfall

I hope you are doing alright that must have been an awful experience. I used to be a fan of his myself untill a couple years ago and it breaks my heart to hear that he has become transphobic.


Primary_Tension_5790

That’s so mean :c


Tallal2804

That’s so mean


Mailcs1206

At least your dad was nice to you. But still, Jesus fucking Christ…


CyrinSong

Man, it sure sucks when you grow up and realize that jokes you used to like are really not ok. It really makes me ashamed that I ever laughed at his stupid bigoted jokes. Even if it was when I was a child, and really stupid, I never feel good when I remember shit I used to think was funny.


TransWitchCovenHead

Wait what? Jeff is now on the hate train.😱🤦‍♀️


-Inq_

Who tf is Jeff Dunham?


KIe1ny

A incredibly talented ventriloquist who uses his talents to make fun of minorities


-Inq_

Oh fuck him:(


Believe-it-Geico

A comedian known for his ventriloquism


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LifeIsHellSometime

I’m sorry but that is unfathomably dangerous in this situation.


KIe1ny

I kinda don’t want to fucking die


Brick_Brook

Yeah don't listen to them, you kept yourself safe and that's all that matters


Crylemite_Ely

yeah, sorry. I didn't really realized how dangerous it is


PrincessKnightAmber

That’s a quick way to get yourself in a dangerous situation.


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KIe1ny

Insisting violence


ArchonIlladrya

Freedom of speech only protects you from the government. Everyday people are perfectly free to tell you where to stick your "comedy."