喜剧演员争论什么为可接受幽默.docVIP

喜剧演员争论什么为可接受幽默 Comedians2?Debate What Is Acceptable Humor?喜剧演员争论什么为可接受幽默 For over 50 years stand-up comedians have played an important part in the examination of popular culture and society. Several generations of comedians have served as critics and observers of American life. Many comedy acts have also courted?controversy3. Right now, people inside and outside the world of comedy are debating what, if anything, is too controversial for comedic use. In other words, should comics concern themselves with political correctness? To be politically correct, or PC, means to avoid language that is, or could be, offensive to a group of people. It is usually used in?sarcasm4, however, by those who reject political correctness. Comedian1?Jerry Seinfeld created the hugely successful television show Seinfeld. He is a leading critic of the so-called PC movement. In fact, he recently said that he would no longer perform at U.S. colleges and universities because he considers students to be too PC. Chris Rock, John Cleese, Lisa Lampanelli and several other?influential5?comedians also have expressed similar opinions. They say political correctness represents an?unreasonable6sensitivity. They argue that that it hurts comedy and restricts open discussion. Author and comedian Jim Norton has suggested that society is now addicted7?to the rush of being offended. Not all performers agree, however. Katherine Jessup has been doing stand-up comedy for more than three years. She is also a writer and co-host of the podcast, Advice! with Dave Kat. Ms. Jessup says part of the problem is that for a long time, men have been the only people in the stand-up community with any power. She feels that these people are protesting because they dont want the community to change and they dont want to lose control. That seems to be said by a lot of people that are… comfortable and well established in where they are… and more than anything else its male comics and men in comedy sort of saying, like ‘You know