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Comic Amy Schumer responds to being called out for racially insensitive jokes
- Thread starter Rentahamster
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Damerman
Member
my philosophy on Comedy is that everything is fair game. It's some kind of social experiment that pushes the boundaries of what conversations can be about relevant to the times. If there is no malicious intent that incites mob mentality, i think it's fine. I laughed at the joke, i laughed at her black jokes and I'll laugh at anything else i find that she says is funny. If she goes out and persecutes a certain group on real sensitive issues, then the comedy might be wrong.
the only problem is when people go out in real life and try to emulate those jokes... they always fail in trying to appear ironic. But with stand up comedy it's a sort of vacuum where everyone is on equal grounds and it's an art that everyone should be able to appreciate.
the only problem is when people go out in real life and try to emulate those jokes... they always fail in trying to appear ironic. But with stand up comedy it's a sort of vacuum where everyone is on equal grounds and it's an art that everyone should be able to appreciate.
liliththepale
Banned
Yup. And it's really no use calling Schumer or others unfunny when there is a demonstrably large group of people who find them entertaining, unless you're just trying to proclaim your bias.
Freedom = $1.05
Banned
She's actually funny and her comedy is insightful. So i'm not sure we're talking about the same person.
I have to agree with both of these comments. I only recently got into Amy Schumer and binge watched all of her tv show. I'm admittedly pretty thin-skinned with racist, sexist, homophobic, etc jokes but for some reason, Amy has built up enough "good will" where I can forgive the occasional misstep. Her whole persona is that of a self-entitled, narcissistic, oblivious white girl and the butt of the joke is almost always her. I think for someone who is familiar with her comedy it isn't so offensive. The jokes are almost always on her.
Dr. Black Jack
Member
Terrible, especially the Google joke. Racist, lazy and poorly delivered.
Just blurting out offensive shit does not make it funny. Since that's all she does I can't stand her "comedy".
perfectchaos007
Member
Louis C.K can say it, but as soon as a female comedian says it she gets shamed! I think the public just isn't adjusted to a woman comedian utilizing race material. She doesn't make it her ENTIRE act either, just like Louis C.K doesn't target race in his entire stand up. If Schumer has any shtick, its talking about sex not race.
Damerman
Member
this is what i understood from it.
Damerman
Member
this is utter bullshit. what about louis C.K. talking about taking advantage of white privilege and enjoying being white? this is along the lines of what amy shummer is doing.
Thug Waffle
Member
I find it very, very difficult to be offended by things comedians say to get laughs. Offensive =/= unfunny.
I thought this was pretty obvious...
I don't think she really does it well, its a hamfisted attempt to point out the obnoxiousness of entitled white people but falls short because she isn't very good.
SillyEskimo
Member
Everyone's a critic.
Anything can be funny.
Anything.
It might take more work to make it funny, and potentially be outside the skill range of the comedian trying to make that joke, but any topic can be funny (as impossible as it might seem for some).
Trying to declare anything as "Not funny. Full stop" helps no one.
Is this a case of a comedian trying to be controversial, or a case of more people trying to make a comedian controversial? Seems like the latter to me.
Considering people in this thread would consider her to be actually racist, would you say she's not very good at playing the role, or she's "too" good at playing the role that people actually buy into it being her genuine thoughts.
DoktorEvil
Banned
Amy Schumer's humor is basically "Hey, I'm a white girl who acts like other dumb white girls" to be funny. Her humor isn't for me. It's really lazy valley girl shit.
Reading those articles, I don't know or understand why these writers are holding her up to be a "feminist icon" and feel she's above making bad race jokes. How many of her good race jokes land?
If you watch "Inside Amy Schumer" on Comedy Central, you get a lot of her. Enjoy.
Reading those articles, I don't know or understand why these writers are holding her up to be a "feminist icon" and feel she's above making bad race jokes. How many of her good race jokes land?
If you watch "Inside Amy Schumer" on Comedy Central, you get a lot of her. Enjoy.
Chapelle show says hi
just going to co-sign this
not a fan of amy's humor, but I am a fan of her doing her thing
should be a drinking game
I guess George Carin was epically uncontroversial.
excelsiorlef
Member
No thanks I like my liver
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Yeah, who ever heard of Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, Louis CK, George Carlin, Bill Hicks, Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy
uncelestial
Member
Don't get the Louis CK comparisons. Louis always pokes fun at privilege and goes out of his way to say that the way gay people, minorities, and women are treated is backwards and awful. This sets up any time he makes a bald-faced statement like "it was sad when they took our slaves away" to be really obviously ironic.
I'm not sure what Amy really believes when she says, (paraphrased) "I used to date Latinos but now I prefer consensual." That sounds like a legitimate complaint she is trying to lodge in a funny way, but whatever she's going for, I don't like her stereotyping an entire race in the process. Louis would never do that in a way where you weren't sure where he stood.
I'm not sure what Amy really believes when she says, (paraphrased) "I used to date Latinos but now I prefer consensual." That sounds like a legitimate complaint she is trying to lodge in a funny way, but whatever she's going for, I don't like her stereotyping an entire race in the process. Louis would never do that in a way where you weren't sure where he stood.
Mineshaft_Gap
4077th
Comedy is being killed by this bullshit.
I don't think she is good at making herself the joke and not the stereotype she is using. Its not really clear if she is making fun of silly sounding ethnic names or a sheltered white persons reaction to them.
Like the joke needs a 2nd part thats says "so I actually googled Jessica and it means whore" or something.
davepoobond
you can't put a price on sparks
If you are using a positive stereotype in a way that puts people down then of course it is going to be bad. To directly answer if that is a stereotype -- you can make up stereotypes very easily and almost any generalization can be one.
However, the simple statement of "Asians are good at math" or "Americans are good workers" are positive stereotypes -- the obvious result is when you generalize ANYTHING you are not accounting for the exceptions which is why it is hard to separate it when stereotypes get conflated with being things that are always negative. Which they are not always negative.
The nuances of statements and especially when you are talking about comedy/satire, these concepts and knowing the differences are important.
Rentahamster
Rodent Whores
I wasn't intending this as a click bait title or anything. The point was so that one could look at the situation while minimizing preconceived notions first. This was so that if a reader read the first part, felt a certain way, found out it was Amy Schumer, then felt another way, that it's a good way to indicate to the reader that his or her standards of judgement might need some refinement.
Basically this.
I dont think comedians are fully responsible from some of the repercussions their material create, Chris Rock is not to blame when some douche says that the N-word means uneducated and not race, Louis C.K is not to blame when some douche feels okay with calling other fags, Stephen Fry is not to blame when some dude uses that fucking quote. Sometimes assholes (purposely) misinterpreted some material and the context its told in order to excuse their own views on something, they only see the superficial message and laugh while saying "So right!" when in reality the comedian is trying to do the contrary, to make people question the validity of some of the thoughts they have, after all, a dude just got a few laughs for saying it out loud.
Even poor George Carlin that is brought up everytime its time to talk about political correctness, when he would probably tell the ones that quote him to shut the fuck off.
It gets really weird when you point out examples of similar modern films and they get denied.
Even poor George Carlin that is brought up everytime its time to talk about political correctness, when he would probably tell the ones that quote him to shut the fuck off.
It gets really weird when you point out examples of similar modern films and they get denied.
Le_Samourai
Banned
Same here, and I think she is an awful comedian.
What am I supposed to say about a joke that didn't make me laugh? Is a lengthy diatribe expected to go along?
RockTurtle
Member
we should have a poll after every joke to determine if its funny or not.
like a grading system.
"this joke met the 60% laughter quota for it to be considered funny, next one!"
DoktorEvil
Banned
Generally. I don't think anyone really has a hardline stance on what humor is or isn't on GAF, but man are there plenty of Gaffers who lets a comedian's opinions dictate their purview/opinions.
It gets really fucking old to hear George Carlin or Bill Hicks and "political correctness" in the same sentence together. They're on stage, not you. Stop parroting their thoughts.
You can say something doesn't make you laugh. There's plenty of comedy I don't find funny. I do however acknowledge the fact that just because I don't think its funny it doesn't mean that other people don't. Nor does it mean that the author is racist,sexist, homophobic or whatever other thing that's being sjw'd hard that week.
yeah just look at all these gravestones of comedians piling up. comedy shows are blinking out of existence as we speak! I haven't heard laughter in so long
Jason's Ultimatum
Member
I'm confused. Are her audience angry or is it just online websites/bloggers?
Yeah let's just put the joke on reddit and see how many up votes it gets.
I mean, I wasn't even addressing nor even thinking about the later part of your post. I responded to a post which kinda said that saying you thought a joke just wasn't that funny is a lazy crticism of said joke and I'm like what the fuck do you want from people.
captainnapalm
Member
Don't know much about her, but she seems to be doing that 'layer of irony', post-Office thing where her character is kind of the butt of the joke.
So you're not so much laughing at the dumb things she says as you are laughing at her for saying the dumb things she says. That seems to be what she's trying to say in her defence as well.
So you're not so much laughing at the dumb things she says as you are laughing at her for saying the dumb things she says. That seems to be what she's trying to say in her defence as well.
BobbyRobby
Member
I think Amy has courted a lot of feminist and progressive bloggers recently.
So now they feel entitled to dictate her act. It reminds me of the Joss Whedon fanbase.
Yeah, but even a "positive stereotype" can be a bad thing. If you're Asian and not good at math it's probably annoying to have people toss that one around.
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