When a joke isn’t ‘just a joke’
“It is just comedy.”… “It is just a joke.”…“It was a harmless joke.”
Most people have heard these statements or made these statements and it’s fine — until the joke is about them.
When is a joke just a joke?
Because it is “just a joke,” does that make the joker harmless to the way the joke is understood.
A joke is defined as telling a narrative story using humorous words that ends with a punchline to make people laugh, usually not meant to be taken seriously.
Has anyone ever considered the irony of punching people to tell a joke? Do you believe that some people take advantage of exercising their rights of using freedom of speech to tell jokes as a subtle way to intentionally emotionally harm someone or public shame?
All jokers use a low or high punchline to finalize their intent of the joke. Which can often leave the individual feeling “punched.” For example…
A man walked into a coffee shop holding a duck. A stranger, noticing them, asked, “Where did you find that old ugly thing?”
The man replied, “On the side of the road.”
The stranger responded, “I was talking to the duck.”
Does the man have the right to become emotional? After all, he was just insulted by a stranger that called him old and ugly. Although this was a joke, did the stranger have the right to use this man as a joke? What if this man was homeless and the duck was his source of food? What if this man was suffering
See HOLLIMAN, page A9
Sherry Holliman Community Commentary HOLLIMAN
From page A4
from separation anxiety and used this duck as a coping animal to provide him comfort while being in the public?
How, where, and when should a person joke? Did the man have the right to take action against the stranger? Do you believe that jokes can trigger pain? When the individual that is used as the focus of the joke reacts out of anger or shame who is the blame for this situation getting out of hand?
The joker or the joke is on me, the individual?
Will the action justify the pain and vulnerability of the individual? People that tell jokes must be aware that they are taking an emotional risk with using specific individuals as their punchlines. While there are several ways to joke, “slapstick” is a known style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve intentional violence. Could the man have used slapstick joking in response to the stranger joke?
When the slapstick example is discussed, people think of the actors The Three Stooges.
These are some of our most famous slapstick comedians of the century. They were known for their punches, slaps, and falls. They will always be known for their excessive physical contact used to entertain their audience.
Is slapstick humor a form of comical performances supporting violence behavior?
Why was slapstick humor funny with witnessing grown men constantly and intentionally physically attacking each other? Is slapping people comical?
In the politics of this comical practice, if slapstick was funny in the 20th century, why is it considered a violent act now? This choice of comical practice actually causes someone to get slapped.
Which is not funny and considered a violent act. To intentionally slap or physically touch a person is considered assault and a serious offense.
Most people will often only consider violence in the form excessive physical force intended to hurt, damage, murder, using extreme aggression, such as assault, rape or beatings. While some people believe a push, shove, slap, grabbing, restraining, or sitting on a person is not a violent act. Violence is the tendency to see other people's actions as hostile even when they are not. Everyone should understand that certain situations will increase the risk of aggression, such as drinking, insults, feeling helpless, and environmental factors.
Joking can be harmless and most people do want to share and hear them. Jokers should be prepared to use intentional setup punchlines. It is also important to understand violence also places a burden on the mental and physical health of society and the justice system, social services, and the economy of communities. Violence is the symptoms of underlying social, economic and political challenges such as social inequality, poverty, unemployment and institutional shortcomings. The adverse effects of violence on a state, or city are harmful not only to its citizens, but the wellbeing of the community and country as a whole. Violence also causes generational psychological and physical trauma, reducing the quality of life for all of society. Although violence is often seen and responded to as an inevitable part of the human condition.
Everyone should always be thinking about how violent acts can be prevented. Society must increase their understanding of this complex issue? This sensitive topic of violence will always be a challenge to address. There will always be arguments of what causes violence, and what consequences should the offender receive.
At the end of the day, some form of shared understanding needs to be reached in order to protect human life and dignity effectively.
Sherry Holliman is a concerned citizen of Crittenden County and has some views on a variety of topics that she wants to share with her neighbors. She previously served on the Marion City Council..
