Cultural scolds have been up in arms since Louis C.K. returned from his self-imposed exile after allegations of sexual harassment. The comedian appears unrepentant, but what really bothers the carpers, from their insistence that his line-pushing jokes are simply not funny, is that people are laughing along with him.
And that gets to one of the strangest aspects of the policing of comedy: We’re ceding too much ground to those who would stop people from doing something that comes naturally: laughing, especially at subjects and issues considered off-limits in everyday conversation.
Growing up in New Jersey in the 1980s, I had plenty of opportunities to see stand-up comedians. Three days a week, a local cable station aired recorded shows from Rascals Comedy Club in West Orange. That venue served as a launching pad for Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Hicks, Andrew Dice Clay, Tim Allen, and Rosie O’Donnell (who was very good) among others. The best part of watching all these rising stars (and some who stunk) was they had no qualms making jokes about any subject.
That’s the beauty of stand-up comedy. And since it’s an art, funny is subjective. But topics should not be off-limits.
Louis C.K.’s recent bout with the laugh police came after he made jokes about Parkland students and gender-neutral pronouns. People behaved as though he hadn’t joked about controversial topics in the past, but that’s precisely how he elevated himself to stardom. Many on the Left began picking apart what he said as if he was delivering a political speech. Even some conservatives failed to get it when they “agreed” with what he said, missing the fact that Louis C.K. was telling jokes.
Look, there’s no accounting for taste. I’m still flummoxed at the idea that some people think Dane Cook or Amy Schumer is funny. But that’s art. Some people don’t like Monet. Some people hate the Beatles or think Stanley Kubrick is overrated. We’re free to choose. And free to laugh. We can’t help it.
