Is humor an appropriate response to Islamic State?

Alessandra Kelley

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Apparently there was recently a Saturday Night Live sketch about Islamic State that went viral, provoking comment on whether it was appropriate to make fun of IS. Actual IS videos are withheld from the news because they are deliberate provocations and atrocities which IS wants broadcast, the argument goes, so why give them air time with frivolity?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-31735136

The online joke is on Islamic State
By Mukul Devichand Series Producer, BBC Trending

...

In the US, a sketch by Saturday Night Live (in which Dakota Johnson, star of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie, says "it's only Isis, Dad," before driving off with militants) got 1.6 million views.

It stirred up a pointed backlash on Twitter.

In Egypt, several ordinary internet users posted IS humour videos.

...

The Egyptian response to these videos echoes the American backlash: many are calling them "stupid," insensitive to the families of recent Egyptian victims of IS, and worried that all they do is glorify the violent militants.

In other words, the "atrocity exhibitions as clickbait" argument again.

...

"Freedom to mock is our greatest weapon," is the familiar response, and indeed this is what Saturday Night Live's Taran Killam tweeted in response to their sketch's critics in the US.

Well, is freedom to mock our greatest weapon?

Is humor a useful tool against violence and despotism? What are its limits?

I can remember vividly seeing comedian and director Mel Brooks in an interview, on being asked why he poked fun at Hitler, saying very firmly "Because I can."

But he was annoyed at Roberto Benigni's comedy “Life Is Beautiful” which took something deeply abyssal, life in the death camp barracks, and tried to make light of it.

From an interview with "Der Spiegel" about his film and the play and the film of "The Producers":
SPIEGEL: So there are limits to humor?

Brooks: Definitely. In 1974, I produced the western parody "Blazing Saddles," in which the word “nigger” was used constantly. But I would never have thought of the idea of showing how a black was lynched. It’s only funny when he escapes getting sent to the gallows. You can laugh at Hitler because you can cut him down to normal size.

...

SPIEGEL: You yourself played Hitler in 1983 in your remake of the film “To Be or not To Be”...

Brooks: ... and I also gave him my voice in a song in "The Producers".

SPIEGEL: How does it feel for a Jew to slip into the skin of his greatest enemy?

Brooks: It is an inverted seizure of power. For many years Hitler was the most powerful man in the world and almost destroyed us. To posses this power and turn it against him -– it is simply alluring.

Can we turn Islamic State's power against it with humor?
 

William Haskins

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Well, is freedom to mock our greatest weapon?

no, but it's an inexpensive and easily accessible one.


Is humor a useful tool against violence and despotism?

absolutely.

What are its limits?

none that i can see.

Can we turn Islamic State's power against it with humor?

no, but we can blunt the allure perhaps and maybe force the fence-sitters and handwringers into grown up, rational thoughts about the matter.
 

Usher

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Greatest weapon - probably not. A greater weapon is making a better society.

However it is entirely appropriate to laugh at those who are ridiculous. Even if they do have a bigger gun.
 

mccardey

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Well, is freedom to mock our greatest weapon?

Is humor a useful tool against violence and despotism? What are its limits?

I think a lot depends on how closely affected you are by the threat. The actual target of a bully has the right to use laughter as a response, but the bystander should probably be more cautious. Laughter can be effective, but I think we have found with racist or sexist jokes that laughter from outside can also legitimise problems and silence the victims.

It's an interesting question.
 
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kuwisdelu

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Making fun of ISIS is entirely appropriate.

It's only inappropriate when people confuse making fun of ISIS with making fun of Islam.

And then it depends on context.
 

kuwisdelu

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I think a lot depends on how closely affected you are by the threat. The actual target of a bully has the right to use laughter as a response, but the bystander should probably be more cautious. Laughter can be effective, but I think we have found with racist or sexist jokes that laughter from outside can also legitimise problems and silence the victims.

It's an interesting question.

Well, yes, that is my point above, too: you have to be careful who the actual target of the humor is.

It's easy to accidentally lampoon the victims as well, and that is especially not appropriate.
 

Myrealana

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Humor, at its best, is always at least a little insensitive.

I haven't seen the sketch in question, but yes, I think humor is a fine weapon to use against those who take themselves so seriously.
 

mccardey

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Well, yes, that is my point above, too: you have to be careful who the actual target of the humor is.

It's easy to accidentally lampoon the victims as well, and that is especially not appropriate.

'zackly.
 

Tazlima

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But he was annoyed at Roberto Benigni's comedy “Life Is Beautiful” which took something deeply abyssal, life in the death camp barracks, and tried to make light of it.

I actually question whether "Life is Beautiful" should be classified as a comedy. Certainly it has tons of funny moments, but there's a constant undercurrent of threat too. For example, look at the scene where he "translates" for the guard. If any of the people listening had cracked a smile, he would have been killed. In that situation, comedy = courage, and I think of it as a story of courage.

Not to mention, I can't think of any other "comedy" that makes me cry like a baby.*

Back to the original subject though, laughter can certainly blunt the teeth of a nasty topic. My mother had a coworker who came to work really upset one day because she had been made the subject of some vicious rumors. When she told my mom the details of the rumor, my mother busted up laughing. I don't remember the details, but the rumor was the sort of thing that you'd have to be an absolute idiot to believe about this woman, like if someone tried to claim that Mother Theresa was a Satanist (nothing against Satanists, but Mother Theresa definitely wasn't one).

The fact that my mother found it so obviously false as to be hilarious not only made the woman feel much better, it also gave her a good response for the next time someone asked her about the subject. Ultimately laughter dispelled the rumors and resolved the issue.

*Edited to add: Actually, I take that back. I also cry at the "Jurassic Bark" episode of Futurama.
 
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PorterStarrByrd

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I've got no problem with the humor

kind of restates the 'pen is mightier than sword' thing

On the other hand, it generally is not effective except against rational opponents nor is it a great counter to an AK47.
 

Haggis

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Good humor almost always offends someone. And I think for it to be an effective tool it has to come close to the edge.
 

Kylabelle

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Bellydancing dressed as militants and victim is brilliant. When you remember bellydancing originated as (and is still) something women learn to do to strengthen childbirth muscles and to support each other in their biological common needs -- it is the cultural opposite of ISIS in key ways.
 

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As I see it, black humor goes like so:

Holocaust jokes are okay if they're not in front of survivors, or about specific victims. I'm deliberately omitting "in front of Jews". I'm Jewish and I dig them.

Racist jokes are okay if your attitude doesn't transcend a "What is the difference between..." joke.

Mysogynistic jokes are okay if you treat women right and view them as your equals in real life.

Fat jokes are okay as long as they don't attack a particular fat person.

And so on.

And ISIS jokes? As long as no grieving family can identify who the joke is about, keep'em coming!

Jokes are a way of coping with life. As long as you treat people right, you get to make a joke.
 
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backslashbaby

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The farther removed someone is from a tragic situation, the less I trust them joking about it. It becomes too easy for some folks and loses its punch because of that, imho. There is no way to tell whether they actually care about the problem. Is it just a cheap joke for laughs? With some comedians, I think I'd have to wonder.

But I follow a guy on Twitter in Syria who mocks Daesh constantly, along with his group of friends. That is funny and uplifting and all the things I'd want gallows humor to be. He only has 30 followers, so it's not a comedian or anything, which makes the jokes especially interesting to me.
 

Vince524

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More importantly than the ? of whether or not jokes are a good weapon, we should keep in mind that not being able to joke, or giving into the fear of making jokes, would be a weapon used against us.
 

robeiae

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As I see it, black humor goes like so:

Holocaust jokes are okay if they're not in front of survivors, or about specific victims. I'm deliberately omitting "in front of Jews". I'm Jewish and I dig them.

Racist jokes are okay if your attitude doesn't transcend a "What is the difference between..." joke.

Mysogynistic jokes are okay if you treat women right and view them as your equals in real life.

Fat jokes are okay as long as they don't attack a particular fat person.

And so on.
Meh. I think you're trying to draw lines where none exist.

Imo, dark/black humor* (along with it's father, gallows humor) only meets the definition if some people find it offensive/are offended. If everyone finds it offensive and not funny, we might call it a failed attempt, I guess. And more often than not, one has to make the joke (or the movie) to find out if it goes too far.








*insert Tyler Perry joke here.
 

cornflake

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Humour is pretty much always appropriate.

The farther removed someone is from a tragic situation, the less I trust them joking about it. It becomes too easy for some folks and loses its punch because of that, imho. There is no way to tell whether they actually care about the problem. Is it just a cheap joke for laughs? With some comedians, I think I'd have to wonder.

But I follow a guy on Twitter in Syria who mocks Daesh constantly, along with his group of friends. That is funny and uplifting and all the things I'd want gallows humor to be. He only has 30 followers, so it's not a comedian or anything, which makes the jokes especially interesting to me.

What's wrong with 'cheap' jokes, for laughs? You also seem to be equating cheap jokes with ones made just for laughs, which is an odd definition to me.

Why would it matter if someone making a joke actually cares about the issue or whatever?

As someone wise named Linda once said (I'm paraphrasing somewhat), 'yes, [that joke was as easy as] picking up a dollar bill you find laying on the sidewalk, but don't you pick up a dollar bill if you see one laying on the sidewalk?
 

mccardey

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derail/

As someone wise named Linda once said (I'm paraphrasing somewhat), 'yes, [that joke was as easy as] picking up a dollar bill you find laying on the sidewalk, but don't you pick up a dollar bill if you see one laying on the sidewalk?

Dollar bills don't lay. Chickens do.

ETA: You can roll your eyes all you like, people, but I'm going to get grammar-nerd reps for this post. So, there. ;)

/end derail
 
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Ravioli

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Meh. I think you're trying to draw lines where none exist.

Imo, dark/black humor* (along with it's father, gallows humor) only meets the definition if some people find it offensive/are offended. If everyone finds it offensive and not funny, we might call it a failed attempt, I guess. And more often than not, one has to make the joke (or the movie) to find out if it goes too far.

I only draw lines out of consideration where it's more than likely that people will be rightly offended (like when you go and make a joke about my miscarriage in particular rather than a general dead baby joke).
And those lines are blurred. I edited lots of examples out of my post because while I *see* those lines, I don't necessarily *agree* with them.
 

backslashbaby

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Humour is pretty much always appropriate.



What's wrong with 'cheap' jokes, for laughs? You also seem to be equating cheap jokes with ones made just for laughs, which is an odd definition to me.

Why would it matter if someone making a joke actually cares about the issue or whatever?

As someone wise named Linda once said (I'm paraphrasing somewhat), 'yes, [that joke was as easy as] picking up a dollar bill you find laying on the sidewalk, but don't you pick up a dollar bill if you see one laying on the sidewalk?

If it's made just for laughs with no thought at all about a horrible topic, I think it's cheap. If it's not a sensitive topic at all, have at it :D

I don't know how to describe the phenomenon of seeing someone who obviously cares nothing/knows little about a sensitive topic mocking it just to be a clown. It just looks stupid instead of like black humor. But that's just my opinion; I know not everyone agrees.
 

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derail/



Dollar bills don't lay. Chickens do.

ETA: You can roll your eyes all you like, people, but I'm going to get grammar-nerd reps for this post. So, there. ;)

/end derail

:cry:

I saw another post of mine in which I left an errant word somehow, and someone quoted it, so even if I edit, it's there, and I ... I just... :cry:
 

mccardey

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:cry:

I saw another post of mine in which I left an errant word somehow, and someone quoted it, so even if I edit, it's there, and I ... I just... :cry:

Oh :cry: now my grammar-nerd rep-joy has gone all problematical.

As someone wise named Linda once said <snip> 'yes, [that joke was as easy as] picking up a dollar bill you find laying on the sidewalk, but don't you pick up a dollar bill if you see one laying on the sidewalk?

I say we blame Linda. Linda started it.