Late night TV and its political satire might not be the best source of news, but it often does offer some laughs. Although not every joke may be in good taste and some might rightfully draw social criticism, these comedic pieces should not be subject to government censorship.
That’s why the American government doesn’t do it. It’s another story in China, whose regime has blocked HBO content after John Oliver’s recent sketch on Chinese President Xi Jinping on his show “Last Week Tonight.”
In the People’s Republic of China, where the state exerts censorship not only over the media but also over access to the Internet, some topics are clearly off limits for comedy. Criticism of the government’s record on human rights is obviously a no-no, as are comparisons between Xi Jinping and Winnie-the-Pooh. John Oliver, of course, didn’t quite conform to the wishes of Chinese censors when he joked: “Clamping down on Winnie-the-Pooh comparisons doesn’t exactly project strength, it suggests a weird insecurity.”
Chinese officials responded by adding HBO content to the very long list of sites blocked by the great firewall that divides China’s online world from that beyond its borders.
In America, discussion on comedy has recently focused on social backlash punctuated with calls for regulation. Taking on this issue, in 2015, a bunch of comedians got together and appeared in a documentary entitled “Can We Take a Joke.” The film highlighted how outrage culture in America attacked comedy and hurt one of the more entertaining mediums through which ideas are exchanged. Although the film was not as funny as the comedians it featured, it made an important point: Comedy is an essential component of free speech and democracy.
Although the subject of the documentary was how citizens weren’t so supportive of ‘offensive’ jokes, governments and political actors often would like to shut up comedians as well. Trump cannot silence “Saturday Night Live,” and that’s always a good thing. Across the Pacific is a chilling example of how governments can and do silence comedy. Lampooning the opposition is a time-honored political tradition only in places where freedom of speech and the rule of law exist.
