I recently watched recorded stand-up comedy. Two names surfaced: Ricky Gervais, a comedian whose acting I respect, and Kathy Griffin, whose jokes are guilty pleasures in times of need.
I find myself in dilemma in enjoying American comedy these days. I know myself to be controversial and bold at times, but other times it is convenient for me to be politically correct. Having a Christian faith apparently can also cause a dilemma. We Christians call laughing at dirty jokes “the flesh” and find hearing the names of God used in vain “offensive”.
Most commercials comedy materials now find comfort in mocking the idea of religiosity. Some brave comedians target certain religions, allegedly, when they have enough audience to make a living out of their jokes that they can risk the religious” audience. It is “fun” to laugh at certain beliefs that are taken for granted or embraced at face value because those who believe suffer consequences. These consequences make them do things out of the ordinary, or in some religious cultures those things become the norm. You can make endless jokes about people wearing religious clothing or believing in religious stories. Post-modernism, with its technological and scientific resources, is self-sufficient to explain all phenomena ever existed, after all.
Religiosity is such a vague term that people can use the words “agnostic” or “spiritual” to describe their worldview. In my experience, the term covers all who fear evil, death, or hell. One who does seems to find solace in activities related to religions conducted as redemptive measures, that are funny to some. For those who are raised religious, parental pressure may be as frightening as evil and all his vices. This probably explains why adulthood is when religiosity fades. A character on a TV show says, “I stopped observing religious holidays when I knew enough.” These exact people should probably penalized for not being able to stop using their god(s) name in vain. Religiosity is so diverse that we all may have the license to mock those who attempt to define their own or others’ religiosity, including those so ignorant of religions they create their own religion of atheism. It is one of those things that is funny in itself.
Comedians, I know you work hard. But you can be lazy! Picking all these easy materials is certainly not a crime, especially when people pay a fortune seeking them. One of the most famous and forever amusing topic is gender. Male comedians make fun of women and their intricate lives; female comedians do the same of male sloppiness and irrelevant habits. Both seem to find gays and lesbians easy targets, perhaps due to their religion of sexuality. Celebrities are certainly in the same picture in this easy materials family. Comedians know that their audience have the vote on whether or not a joke is good. If easy materials are what people are willing to pay for, that is what they shall get. Easy joke, easy laughter equals immediate satisfaction. A cheap thrill for dumb audience by lazy comedians.
American comedy materials ranging from The Simpsons and The Family Guy to stand-up comedy sell jokes on certain religions or religious groups. The Jews, Christianity and Jesus, as well as the new-age beliefs such as the Church of Scientology or Mormonism are the most popular targets. I should probably say that they are also the most harmless, although some of their members can be dangerous: those who use political threats or those who go hunting for leisure. Religions have tales to tell and these tales can be funny when comedians put spicy twists on them. Gervais’ recent extended joke on an HBO special was on the story of Noah’s Ark. He did not necessarily make fun of the story; he dwelt in a children’s storybook of Noah’s Ark by making fun of the drawings. I am very sure that I can do the same sitting down at a Barnes and Noble children’s section and have a comedy “session” with friends who are nice enough to be willing to listen to me. Lazy, I say! I also recently read a transcript of an interview between a Wall Street Journal journalist and Gervais. He is, as I found out with no surprise, a proactive evangelist of atheism who like Richard Dawkins upholds science as the upmost source of truth. To him, science knows what it knows and does not know, which is why it is more reliable than religions. Reading this before watching his stand-up on HBO gives me an idea where he is coming from. [And! Oh my … he has an essay on atheism.] Not forgetting Kathy Griffin, Jesus recently caused a controversy though her award acceptance speech “Suck it, Jesus”. Some churches went into rage, which made it even more fun for her to use as her stand-up materials. Her jokes, not surprisingly, are based on the religious followers of Jesus who use God’s name in vain unnecessarily and endlessly and are as hypocritical as corrupt politicians and criminals. She probably gained most of her fame now due to this one career-defining event; good for her!
Now, my question is why haven’t I heard of Islam or Moslem followers being used for comic materials in the United States? Is the subject too sensitive or dangers? Is it 9/11 that will criminalize them for making jokes on Islam? Or they actually respect Islam enough for 9/11 that they stay out of the topic? Their religion, I say, along with the rituals and theology can be as funny as those of other beliefs. But why do these comedians refuse to highlight certain religions? Is it because they are simply difficult in some ways? The attempted answers to these questions will be too controversial for public exposure, but I will leave it to the minds of comedians and their audience.
I, as an audience, demand less easy materials and more unthinkable jokes. I can use fresh ideas once in a while, especially when I have to pay in US dollars to witness them.
