Yes, I’m saying that human beings have a natural bend towards cruelty. I’m not condoning it. I’m just saying that it’s real. I understand better than most. I used to weigh 400lbs. I know a thing or two about cheap laughs made at my expense!
When your cat is batting a piece of lint and accidentally falls off the couch, you laugh!
Why? Well we mask it and say “That’s so cute!” but in reality we’re laughing because we feel superior to the cat! After all, WE certainly wouldn’t fall off the couch because WE were overly excited about lint!Yes, I know how stupid that sounds. I promise you it’s true. Another example of this is how we laugh at celebrities and politicians! We find ways to laugh at powerful people because it brings them down to our level…
Obama has big ears. Bush can’t speak. Clinton… Where do I begin?
For a while Britney Spears jokes were in vogue. Why? Put simply laughing at her monumentally messed up life made us feel better about our own.
Like I said. I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying it’s true.
The thing is as a comedian it’s possible to use superiority without hurting anyone. Used ethically and in small doses there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it!
How do you accomplish this? You make fun of yourself.
- It’s cool to make a fat joke, but only if you’re fat!
- It’s cool to make jokes about an ethnic group, but only if you’re part of it.
- It’s cool to make jokes about your marriage if you make it clear that you really do love and value your spouse.
That brings me to my final point… Let’s say that you make a joke that absolutely doesn’t work. Instead of roaring laughter you’re met with an awkward silence. Provided you weren’t offensive there’s a no-fail way to save the situation using the principle of superiority!
