Can We Take a Joke?

The new documentary "Can We Take a Joke?" will almost certainly offend you as you watch it. There are a lot of obscenities and tons of politically incorrect comments and jokes in poor taste…and some of them are bound to hit your hot buttons. For instance, a few of the comedians they interview I happen to strongly dislike. So why would anyone want to see a film that makes you them mad….and why would I recommend you give the film a try?

The film mostly concerns the recent trend towards political correctness and the rise in individual outrage and how it relates to comedians…folks who are almost certain to incite folks because they often deliberately seek to offend. Much of the film looks back to Lenny Bruce and his many run-ins with the police involving free speech. It then draws a parallel to today…though this free speech is not being suppressed by the government but by ourselves and our universities. When the film is making this argument, lots of very offensive comedians are featured…including the likes of Lisa Lampanelli and Gilbert Gottfried. Again, as I mentioned above, these folks say offensive stuff and you will be challenged to keep watching it…it's inevitable.

So am I suggesting you watch the film because I want you to be offended or insulted? Certainly not---I want to live in a world where people are civil and treat each other decently. But the documentary brings up a lot of good points despite offending the viewer and think it's important we listen and think about their message. Here are just a few of the topics brought up in the film: --Where do we draw the line with what is acceptable and what isn't? This is especially problematic because everyone has different 'hot buttons'….so what offends you may not offend your neighbor.

--The First Amendment is not necessarily the same as free speech. How you can have a First Amendment and STILL not be free to speak your mind?

--We seem to be in a 'gotcha' culture where anyone can say the wrong thing and become part of the 'villain of the week' on social media. This means folks on the left, right and center could accidentally walk into a firestorm of anger and protest.

--Where is this all going to lead? Will the United States become like Europe or Canada where you can get arrested if you say something that is construed as offensive? And, what will the world be like if this is the case?

"Can We Take a Joke?" is a challenging film and makes you think about yourself as well as your own personal comfort zone—and this is something rare in a documentary. A good documentary challenges you or your beliefs…and this one sure will. Do I always agree with it? No…especially when some of the comedians they interview say that nothing should be taboo when it comes to free speech. That makes me very uncomfortable, as I sure would hate to hear folks making fun of rape or cancer. But despite offending me, it did get my attention and I appreciate that.

Ironically, this film has no closed captions. I am hard of hearing and my daughter is deaf….and I guess this omission is actually a bit offensive now that I think about it.

In the wake of recent controversies dealing with free speech, I decided it was fitting to at last watch this documentary that has been heavily appealing to me for quite some time. As a fervent supporter of free speech, the messages contained within this film play a heavily important role in our modern day society. There is still hope for comedians despite the ridiculous cries of outrage that seem to pointlessly be sweeping the county day by day. Hypersensitivity does no one any good, and this film knows that and begs for our society to rethink the path they are going down. A disturbing amount of people refuse to oppose hate speech laws, and universities thrive on tearing down the values that made them respectable to the liberal minded in the first place. Liberals were once the great free speech figures, but the road they have followed has led them to the polar opposite of such a reputation. This documentary does have its technical flaws, but it is still entertaining as hell, its messages are brilliant and well spoken, its hilarious at times thanks to the cast of comedians, and its also a shed of light for the future of free speech.

There is really only one place to look if you want to find those to blame for destroying a generation. College.

However, the seed of the snowflake mentality begins at home. We are raising really soft children (I have a 9 year old). From there our kids are sent thru a school system that reinforces their soft emotion filled lives. Schools (primarily high school) teach kids to go with emotion of practicality. Once they hit college it's reinforced by a overwhelmingly liberal group of professors and teachers that indoctrinate them to tune out subject matter that might hurt students feelings. And all it does is ill-prepare them for the real world where conflicting emotions can be a daily thing to deal with.

I found in my college career (undergraduate and Master's) that most of my profs were either people that had failed in the business world, or were lifelong educators...both groups live in absolute delusion of reality...nuzzled in the bosom of the College or University where tenure creates arrogance. There were a few exceptions...as there always are...but overall it was liberal brainwashing.

Comedy, good comedy, should entertain as well as inform. And yet too often now we see comedians having to apologize for things they said in their set because the PC brigade has gotten their panties in a twist.

I don't agree with all the comedians here. Some of them I literally can't stand to listen to. But that doesn't mean I feel they need to be silenced. The problem is coming from a small group of people that think they know better than you and are doing this to protect you from things they don't want you to hear. Well I say no thank you. While I agree that some jokes aren't funny, I don't feel that there are topics that shouldn't be joked about or even better still some topics that can't be discussed in a rational manner.

Comics like Lenny Bruce challenged societal norms by using language we considered off limits back in the day. Others like George Carlin were unabashedly for free speech and skewering the sacred cows of the establishment. And that's the key here. Good comedy has always been anti-establishment. There's always been this relationship between good comedy and social norms and I don't feel that that should be a reason not to see or listen to a comedian.

There are good points to be made, on both sides mind you, but not all the points are worthy enough to enact actual change. Personally I will continue to watch these comedians I like and hope that their edge isn't dulled by too much SJW and PC backlash.

"When they come after the comedians, that's when you worry" In the age of rampant censorship and forced virtue signaling, this is more important than even when it first aired. Under new cultural mandates and anti-first amendment crusaders, comedians have been targeted and cancelled for saying the quiet part out loud. Not even satire is safe from the ministry of thought police. Watch this and marvel at how much humor has changed under the dictates of the rage-filled mob.