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"Can We Take a Joke?" - North American Trailer

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B

BatDan

Bane? Get them on board, I'll call it in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI9emLcjMOk

Description:
In the age of social media, nearly every day brings a new eruption of outrage. While people have always found something to be offended by, their ability to organize a groundswell of opposition to – and public censure of – their offender has never been more powerful. Today we’re all one clumsy joke away from public ruin. Can We Take A Joke? offers a thought-provoking and wry exploration of outrage culture through the lens of stand-up comedy, with notables like Gilbert Gottfried, Penn Jillette, Lisa Lampanelli, and Adam Carolla detailing its stifling impact on comedy and the exchange of ideas. What will the future will be like if we can’t learn how to take a joke?

In Theaters July 29
On Demand & Digital August 2
Click to expand...

Interesting looking documentary, one that I feel a lot of people need to see.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Looks interesting but I didn't really get a sense of where the movie was going, and we didn't see a single thing from people who actively want to censor or shutdown "offensive speech". Hopefully there is some of that perspective in that movie and not just "comedy is the canary in the coalmine for free speech!"

I also hope they get into LCK's whole idea about the thing, which is basically people love to get offended nowadays because it makes them feel good about being righteous, without actually doing a goddamn thing.
 
G

GamingOblivion

Banned
See, I don't get this argument. Telling people to take a joke for something offensive undermines the reality that many people are marginalized as a minority, whether sexual minority, ethnicity, or whatever. You can make funny jokes without having to fall into a trans stereotype or whatever.

Can something explain to me why people should be able to make jokes like this targeting people?
 
L

lightskintwin

Banned
It's definitely needed. I can't imagine Def Comedy Jam, BET's Comic View, Andrew Dice Clay, Sam Kinison, Howard Stern, etc... could enjoy the amount of success they did in today's age.
 
L

liliththepale

Banned
This could be interesting. I laughed at the "I don't want to have to pay for speech" line.

But as this thread is demonstrating already people are just going to dismiss the arguments out of hand. This doesn't really seem like an issue people are on the fence about, they've staked out on one side or the other.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
mattp said:
well, they should be ABLE TO, but problem is they shouldn't whine about it when people criticize them
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It's not whining. They're exercising the same rights that those who complain about this stuff do.

They're not going to sit back and take it.

I have no issues with both honestly.
 
I

Inferno313

Banned
entremet said:
This is specifically talking about stand up comedy, though.

It's a very targeted scenario.
Click to expand...

Like all forms of art, stand up can and should be criticized. To suggest that you can criticize the way a film portrays a minority, but not the way a stand up comedian's joke portrays a minority is to say that stand up is a lesser art form.
 
-COOLIO-

-COOLIO-

The Everyman
TheNintendoBox said:
i refuse to accept a world where people can hide their horrible behavior behind "it's just a joke"
Click to expand...

but sometimes being offensive and taboo is what makes the joke funny. i can guarantee you that even some of the jokes that you find innocuous are offensive to someone. for example, a fart joke can be offensive to people with flatulence problems.

like everything else in life, it's not black and white. we discuss and capitulate.
 
M

mattp

Member
entremet said:
It's not whining. They're exercising the same rights that those who complain about this stuff do.

They're not going to sit back and take it.

I have no issues with both honestly.
Click to expand...

sit back and take what, though?
they ARE just whining. no one is stopping them from telling jokes
they're upset because some people are criticizing their jokes
what is there to "take"? no one is arresting them
 
R

RedStep

Member
TheNintendoBox said:
i refuse to accept a world where people can hide their horrible behavior behind "it's just a joke"
Click to expand...

Do you think that's what a comedian on a stage, or on twitter, or on TV is doing? Just being their horrible selves and then making an excuse to cover it?

I refuse to accept a world where self-righteous nobodies try to tell other people what they can and can't say, especially since all throughout history comedy and revolution have relied on people saying things that upset other people. I prefer to keep comedy and revolution around and dispense with the self-righteous nobodies.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Inferno313 said:
Like all forms of art, stand up can and should be criticized. To suggest that you can criticize the way a film portrays a minority, but not the way a stand up comedian's joke portrays a minority is to say that stand up is a lesser art form.
Click to expand...

Sure, but we ridicule of poor criticism all the time. All criticism is not created equal. That's the point of the movie.
 
A

Alavard

Member
The Boat said:
I also refuse to accept a world where humor is severely limited in order not to offend a single person. As always, it's all about balance and common sense.
Click to expand...

This is a good way to put it. The line between what's too offensive and what can be joked about has always been moving. It was once appropriate to have minstrel shows, and gay jokes were popular during the 90s. Many comedians have always been about staying in just the perfect place in relation to that line.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
mattp said:
sit back and take what, though?
they ARE just whining. no one is stopping them from telling jokes
they're upset because some people are criticizing their jokes
what is there to "take"? no one is arresting them
Click to expand...

So you're saying that people who feel they're being unfairly criticized cannot answer back?

That's bullshit. Sorry.

You don't have to watch the movie. But to say the movie shouldn't exist is silly.
 
T

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Not-so-stealth pro-Gamergate whining.
 
L

lightskintwin

Banned
mattp said:
well, they should be ABLE TO, but problem is they shouldn't whine about it when people criticize them
Click to expand...

It's just the internet and the 24/7 news cycle has amplified people being offended about a comedian constantly now, and the proliferation of labels being easily thrown around such as racist, sexist, homophobe, misogynist, etc... muddles the whole conversation.
 
G

GamerJM

Banned
entremet said:
It's not whining. They're exercising the same rights that those who complain about this stuff do.

They're not going to sit back and take it.

I have no issues with both honestly.
Click to expand...

They're free to criticize the criticism they receive, but "it's my free speech," isn't good counter-criticism because they weren't attacking your free speech in the first place.
 
I

Inferno313

Banned
RedStep said:
Do you think that's what a comedian on a stage, or on twitter, or on TV is doing? Just being their horrible selves and then making an excuse to cover it?

I refuse to accept a world where self-righteous nobodies try to tell other people what they can and can't say, especially since all throughout history comedy and revolution have relied on people saying things that upset other people. I prefer to keep comedy and revolution around and dispense with the self-righteous nobodies.
Click to expand...

In the case of some of the subjects in this film, notably Adam Carolla, sure.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
GamerJM said:
They're free to criticize the criticism they receive, but "it's my free speech," isn't good counter-criticism because they weren't attacking your free speech in the first place.
Click to expand...

The premise isn't on free speech grounds, though. It's on faux outrage.
 
G

GamingOblivion

Banned
RedStep said:
Do you think that's what a comedian on a stage, or on twitter, or on TV is doing? Just being their horrible selves and then making an excuse to cover it?

I refuse to accept a world where self-righteous nobodies try to tell other people what they can and can't say, especially since all throughout history comedy and revolution have relied on people saying things that upset other people. I prefer to keep comedy and revolution around and dispense with the self-righteous nobodies.
Click to expand...

I don't think a revolution over making shitty sexist, transphobic, or racist jokes is going to happen. Historical comedy comes from criticizing the government, not minorities that already get fucking murdered on a daily basis.
 
M

mattp

Member
entremet said:
So you're saying that people who feel they're being unfairly criticized cannot answer back?

That's bullshit. Sorry.

You don't have to watch the movie. But to say the movie shouldn't exist is silly.
Click to expand...

i mean..i didnt say the movie shouldn't exist. i just disagreed with the point they're trying to make

edit: and you know, i really don't feel bad that a bunch of (subjectively) unfunny comedians are getting criticized for shitty jokes that punch down at minorities or whatever they're upset about
 
M

maquiladora

Member
There is a backlash against jokes that rely on racist, sexist and homophobic punchlines because more and more people are being outspoken about no longer accepting casual racism, sexism and homophobia. And that's a good thing.
 
S

Sephzilla

Member
Nudull said:
Not Understanding That Freedom of Speech Doesn't Mean Freedom From Criticism: The Movie
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That's not really the impression I got. It seems more like a response to the outrage culture where every mole hill gets turned into a mountain.

That being said, I have a hard time backing anything with Adam Carolla
 
I

Inferno313

Banned
I'd also just like to point out that, regardless of your political views on the topic, this is a pretty shoddily-made trailer. I'm not even convinced this will be a competently made look on the topic.
 
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