Comedy and especially satire are having a hard time right now. I know it’s never funny to explain why things are funny or not but I’m gonna do it anyway.
Satire relies on taking something that seems “normal” and following it to an extreme conclusion that is also perfectly logical. It makes us laugh because we first think “how ridiculous” but at the same time think “how reasonable”. It’s this contradiction that is unexpected and it gives are brain a little “tease” that we enjoy and laugh at.
The satire that exists in a fascist controlled state is NOT able to make that jump in reasoning enough. It can’t be both ridiculous and reasonable at the same time. It’s just stating a conclusion that is already reality. It has nowhere to go beyond that. Reality has reached a point that it is not easy to satirize.
So comedy has to either be like the comic in the OP. Basically not funny but trying to get a laugh from you remembering the formula of satire.
Or it has to be cheap and jump beyond the reasonable into absurdity. And once you’re in absurdity you’re not doing satire anymore. You’re just making fart jokes or jokes about Trump having sex with Satan.
It’s why South Park feels so empty to me. It’s just stating facts and then complimenting it with fart jokes.
Comedy and especially satire are having a hard time right now. I know it’s never funny to explain why things are funny or not but I’m gonna do it anyway.
Satire relies on taking something that seems “normal” and following it to an extreme conclusion that is also perfectly logical. It makes us laugh because we first think “how ridiculous” but at the same time think “how reasonable”. It’s this contradiction that is unexpected and it gives are brain a little “tease” that we enjoy and laugh at.
The satire that exists in a fascist controlled state is NOT able to make that jump in reasoning enough. It can’t be both ridiculous and reasonable at the same time. It’s just stating a conclusion that is already reality. It has nowhere to go beyond that. Reality has reached a point that it is not easy to satirize.
So comedy has to either be like the comic in the OP. Basically not funny but trying to get a laugh from you remembering the formula of satire.
Or it has to be cheap and jump beyond the reasonable into absurdity. And once you’re in absurdity you’re not doing satire anymore. You’re just making fart jokes or jokes about Trump having sex with Satan.
It’s why South Park feels so empty to me. It’s just stating facts and then complimenting it with fart jokes.