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Political Correctness in Comedy and the Impact it Has on Society.

This blog is about political correctness in comedy TV shows. Given the climate of our country today and the frequent use of the word political correctness or “PC” I think it is important to look through the years of what has been accepted and what now would not be accepted in todays society. The impact of this has trickled into other areas such as everyday conversation, social media, college campuses and many more. The point I am trying to make is that we can learn as a society what is accepted and what is not, but don’t take away free speech in the process. I want to focus on comedy in but in particular three tv shows two of which are animated shows they are “Family Guy” and “South Park” and the other one is “The Office”. I chose these 3 shows because I wanted to look at the difference between animated tv shows and regular tv shows based on what is accepted by the viewers. 

Family Guy is a well known animated sit com that has been on the air since 1999. The show has often times taking it “too far”. Here are some clips from Family Guy where critics believe the show crossed the line. 

To highlight a few clips from this video. We have Peter befriending a middle-eastern man and then joining him on a terrorist attack where he takes a van and runs over the runners during the Boston Marathon. This episode aired weeks before the actual Boston Marathon bombing occurred and only due to bad timing is the reason why they took it off the air. The representation of race here is poking fun that all middle-eastern people are terrorists. Later in the scene we see Peter getting pulled over by boarder security and the soldier holds up a sign that says “okay” and “not okay” referencing how dark Peter’s skin is. The more white you are the less of a threat you are. This aired in 2013 which is really not too long ago and this episode which is still banned is very offensive and not okay. 

The next show that is also known for having offensive episodes is South Park. South Park has been on the air since 1997. Here are some clips from South Park that have been determined by critics that the show went too far. 

In this video South Park definitely crosses the line with some pretty vulgar scenes. The scenes that I want to highlight is Brittany spears blowing her head off from a shotgun after Cartmen ands the boys convinced her to do so. Then throughput the whole episode she is carrying on with half her head blown off. Creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker tried to make the viewers very uncomfortable a lot of times in the clips above and this episode was certainly one of those times. However, South Park usually can almost save their offensive ways at the end of the episode. During the time this episode came out Brittany Spears was having a crazy year and the media was all over her 24/7. South Park pokes fun at that by worshiping her the whole episode and then after she dies at the end, Randy Marsh, a character in the show basically says we should be leaving her alone and that she is just a kid. South Park tends to somehow always show the goodness in their intention even if the episode seems offensive there usually is a silver lining. Does that make it okay to joke around about some things? Id argue not always, but I think most times people can see where the humor derives from in a positive outlook. 

However, there is an episode where we see Steven Spielberg and George Lucas rape Indiana Jones, and there is no way to make humor or a positive outlook after that. Even though they are animated characters they have such a large audience that it is not really about the joke and is more about the actions. Animation tends to get away with more because they are not real characters and live in a cyber world. However, shows like “The Office” need to be more careful.

Animation tends to get away with more became they are not real characters and live in a cyber world. However, shows like “The Office” need to be more careful. The Office has a great representation and the show is loved by many. Although, after some digging, they were not always perfect either. The office has two episodes that stuck out to me and critics as controversial. The office had a Halloween episode where Micheal hangs himself in front of little kids trick or treating. After he hangs himself he explains that suicide is wrong and that they shouldn’t do that while the noose is still wrapped around his neck. Here is the scene: 

This was similar to what South Park tries to do. Make a joke about something some may find offensive and then clarify that it is wrong. Although, when kids are involved I think that is when it goes too far. Whether we’re talking about the kids who were on the show seeing that or kids who might have viewed it I am not alone and thinking that it was not an okay joke to make. Netflix cut the episode entirely and NBC has never aired it again. 

The other episode is when Dwight uses blackface in a Christmas episode. He dresses up as “Black Peter” who is a fictional character. NBC and Netflix deleted the scene from the show and series creator Greg Daniels called the episode “unacceptable” and apologized. 

Some of Hollywood Doesn’t Like the PC Culture. 

Comedian Lisa Lampanelli claims she is edgy and loves talking about controversial topics. She makes some great points in an article she wrote that got published by the Hollywood Reporter. 

“Here’s the problem: Comedy, probably more than any other art form, is subjective. What jokes crack up your mom, your little brother, and your gay best friend will be completely different…” 

This is a great and when you think about it,  an obvious point. There are shows that I watch with my brothers and friends that I would never watch with my mom. Although, that doesn’t mean they are not funny, just maybe not appropriate in her eyes. Lampanelli goes on to continue, “Comedy is like music — there are genres and styles for every taste. Katy Perry is there for people who like frothy pop music. Metallica is there for people who like head-banging metal…” Another valid point made here. Comedians don’t set out to make everyone listening laugh. They are trying to put on a show and they all have a certain style. Bill Burr is known for his anti-political and feminist jokes and does not put on the same show as Sebastian Maniscalco who enjoys talking about his Italian culture, upbringing, and things that annoy him. Lampanelli is trying to say well if you don’t like those jokes then listen to another comedian more your speed and at the same time don’t call her politically incorrect for not liking her form of art. 

Here is another interesting quote from Lampanelli, “By being politically correct, you’re closing your mind to a different point of view. Which sounds a lot like prejudice. Which is definitely not politically correct. See what I just did there?” I really like this way of thinking because even though you could argue you against it I see her point of view. 

Another very well known A-list Director/Actor Clint Eastwood has come out about this issue as well. From an article published by Joe Player, Clint speaks out about the “PC era”. 

This is from an interview with Clint Eastwood he said, “the political correctness era that we're in is really not doing anyone any good. It's taking everyone and weakening society. It doesn't seem that people have to take themselves so serious…Nothing was politically incorrect because everything was always a joke with a sense of humor. People sometimes are losing that and taking themselves and everyone else seriously. I think they're missing a lot and not enjoying the differences that we all have.”

Now, Clint Eastwood is now 90 years old and was 87 when he said this. Is this an older way of thinking or someone that has been in the business forever and has seen a negative change in the industry? I think he makes a great point of enjoying the differences we all have. Clint Eastwood is not really cautious about what he says since he’s.. well he’s Clint Eastwood, but it seems like everyone else is nervous to do so. 

The Documentary “Political Correctness - Explained” 

This is a Netflix 18 min documentary explaining the origin and current state of Political Correctness. 

From a survey in 2015 4/5 Republicans and 3/5 democrats believe that political correctness is a big problem in the United States. 

Professor’s from various colleges were interviewed and a professor who just went by Bradley made a great point explaining what it is like in his classroom. He mentions that when they are talking about these controversial conversations many of his students stay quiet. He believes the reason for that is no one wants to say what is on their mind in fear of saying the wrong thing and offending someone. I mean that is so sad that it has gotten to the point where we are afraid to speak in a classroom. 

The media makes it so we are all so connected and we know within minutes if people are accepting our jokes or not and that is trickling into how we behave online and with our peers. 

Comedian W. Kamau Bell counters this point that we don’t have to be afraid to make an edgy joke, but we can find ways to go a better way about it. He made a joke about a girl that wouldn’t kiss him in grade school and called her a “bitch” that was racist. He said the audience laughed, but he felt bad about calling her a bitch, so he changed the punchline to “that little doctor” and claimed the audience laughed just as hard.   

Overall, there is definitely some unbalance with political correctness in comedy. I think people can agree that we cannot just let any joke fly. There are clear examples of comedy going too far and then there are clear examples where people need to learn to celebrate that form of art. I think if people began to appreciate the different genres of comedy and at the same time appreciate each others differences it can help take a giant step in our country. 70% of our country thinks political correctness is a big problem. This is not a political issue and comedy should not be censored by political views. 

Sources:

Kersten, H. (2018). Mark Twain's “Assault of Laughter” and the Limits of Political Humor. Studies in American Humor, 4(2), 171-182. doi:10.5325/studamerhumor.4.2.0171

Simon, J. (1999). Variations on `P.C.’ in the Movies. Academic Questions (Springer Nature), 13(1), 66.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/lisa-lampanelli-how-political-correctness-450210/

https://screenrant.com/tv-scenes-not-made-today/

https://screenrant.com/shocking-times-south-park-inappropriate-moment-too-far/

Political Correctness “Explained” documentary 

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-office-blackface-dwight-christmas-black-peter-netflix-nbc/

[shaneo2610]

Sources

Sources

Banks, Alec. “How Heath Ledger Took ‘The Joker’ From Clown Prince to Psychopath.” How Heath Ledger Took “The Joker” From Clown Prince to Psychopath, Highsnobiety, 9 Nov. 2018, www.highsnobiety.com/2016/01/28/heath-ledger-dark-knight-joker/.

This source described the evolution of the Joker and why Heaths Ledger’s joker perfected the roll for the movie.

Cocksworth, Ashley. “The Dark Knight and the Evilness of Evil.” The Expository Times, vol. 120, no. 11, Aug. 2009, pp. 541–543, doi:10.1177/0014524609106841.

This described why Gotham was evil and why batman needed to take the blame for the murders of Harvey Dent.

“The Dark Knight Rises Movie Review {4/5}: Critic Review of The Dark Knight Rises by Times of India.” Times of India, Entertainment , 19 July 2012, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/english/movie-reviews/the-dark-knight-rises/movie-review/15042306.cms.

I used this source for a critic review I thought coming from the newspaper it was credible and I thought the critic himself gave a well-rounded review of the movie.

“Dark Knight Viral Campaign Study.” Goldie Robins Is LEAPing into Penn State, Penn State, 23 July 2014, sites.psu.edu/goldieleap/2014/07/23/the-dark-knight-viral-campaign-case-study/.

This site explained the marking campaign for the movie. Brokedown exactly what they did to promote the movie.

“The Dark Knight.” IMDb, IMDb.com, 2008, www.imdb.com/title/tt0468569/plotsummary.

   I used this source for the summary section of my blog post. IMDB is a great and well known

  source for movies and TV shows.

Fradley, Martin. “What Do You Believe In? Film Scholarship and the Cultural Politics of the Dark Knight Franchise.” Film Quarterly, vol. 66, no. 3, 2013, pp. 15–27. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/fq.2013.66.3.15.

This source validated the hype of this movie and explained why it was so successful.

“Dark Knight Movie Clips.” YouTube, YouTube, 2008, www.youtube.com/?gl=GB&hl=en-GB.

I used YouTube for all of my clips in my blog.

Poulimenakos, Nick, et al. “The Dark Knight Revisited: A Thematic, Critical and Historical Analysis.” Talkies Network, 19 Nov. 2019, talkiesnetwork.com/2018/01/02/the-dark-knight-revisited-a-thematic-critical-and-historical-analysis/.

This source was good because at times I was confused about what was exactly happening and why it                                     was happening, and the author did a great job of breaking down any questions I had about what was going on

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The Dark Knight Critical Analysis

The Dark Knight is one of the most influential superhero movies of its time. The success of this blockbuster is an example of how good the movie is. Although, I believe the impact this movie had on America and superhero movies going forward is a greater testament than the money they made. Speaking of money, the box office made $431.2 million in the U.S and $574 million internationally making that $1.005 Billion total. Batman begins only made $375.2 million altogether. Considering they only made $375.2 million there needed to be more done in order to sell this film. The marketing of this film was a huge reason why they did so well in the box office. They made people want to see this film. And boy did they ever…

Brief Summary

The movie starts with a bank robbery scene of 5 guys wearing clown masks. All of them ordered to do a specific task and then kill one of the guys. The Joker gets a gun pointed at him because one of the bank robbers picked up on this and assumes that he will eventually get killed off. Although the bus driver came smashing in and killed that man on the way. The Joker then takes his masks off and shows his face to the manager of the bank and says “what doesn’t kill you makes you… stranger.” Then he puts a grenade in his mouth and jumps into the bus and drives off. That is the first time we see the Joker. We then see batman where at first we do not which one is him because there are imposters pretending to be him. He comes in on the batmobile breaks up a drug deal and tells the imposters to stop pretending to be him. “What’s the difference between you and us an imposter asks “I don’t have hockey pants on” Batman answers.

Bruce Wayne has dinner with Harvey and Rachel. At this point, Batman doesn’t know if he can trust Harvey and also seems a little bit jealous of him for being with Rachel.

The joker stole $68 million from that bank robbery which ultimately belongs to the mob. The Joker claims that they have not done enough since batman arrived. He then offers to kill the batman for half of the money. The deal is agreed upon.

But in order to kill the Batman, you need to know who he is. So, Joker and his “goons” crash the fundraiser held by Bruce Wayne. It is a really intense scene that you can see here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwETqnTgxI4

As you can see the scene ends with Batman saving Rachel from falling.

Fast forward Harvey Dent then says he is the Batman first taking the blame of the murders. He is arrested.

The Joker then kidnaps both Dent and Rachel and tells the batman that he only has time to save one of them. Batman knew that the joker would think he would go save Rachel so he actually goes and saves Dent and had other guys save Rachel.

Dent and Rachel are tied up and a building catches on fire there is oil on the ground which burns half of the Dent's face off.

Dent is forced to go to the hospital and the Joker knows this. He tells the news that they have 60 minutes to kill his lawyer or he is going to blow up a hospital.

You can see what he decided to with this scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElOEwtx7wjA

To wrap it up Batman takes the blame for the murders that Harvey Dent completed. He does this because he believes that the people of Gotham deserve to feel that Dent is a good person. If Dent takes the blame, then Gotham looks corrupt and the Joker wins. Since Batman takes the blame he is getting chased out of the city by the police.

Marketing

The marketing tactic of the film was the most unique way of marketing ever used. They used an Alternate Reality Gaming system in which 10 million “players” participated all over the world. Started at comic con and then spread throughout the nation these players were given phones that directed orders from either Harvey Dent or the Joker. It sent many people into the streets in full makeup creating a Gotham city! There were fake newspapers, online propaganda, and clues all over the country. People were protesting and marching for Harvey Dent. It looked like a real presidential campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpuC7HhCPWA

This movement was all over the news. And on the premier night, hundreds of people fled to NYC to see the movie. This marketing campaign is the reason people fell in love with the joker. And is the reason why this movie had the biggest opening day of all time. And it’s a good thing too because Warner Bros put 100 million into this genius marketing plan.

Critics Reviews

Time Richard Corliss IMDb

Beyond dark. It's as black -- and teeming and toxic -- as the mind of the Joker. "Batman Begins," the 2005 film that launched Nolan's series, was a mere five-finger exercise. This is the full symphony.

“Hey Gothamites! This is your last chance to hoot, whistle, clap, scream... and do everything possible to cheer for your iconic superhero who makes a final appearance in this epic conclusive part of Hollywood's greatest trilogy of the 21st Century. So what if that hero is turning all grey! So what if we see him falling and failing each time he tries to rise! So what if the movie really makes you wait in order to get a glimpse of Christian Bale to do what he does best. For when he puts on that mask, you get your penny's worth. The end result: You end up wanting more!”

NY Post

Overall there was a very positive critic review. Most of the top critics from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb loved this film due to its creativity and darkness. The movie is an amazing ending to the batman trilogy. Considering this movie was the most anticipated movie based on it being the last one and because of the marketing, the movie had very high expectations. Sometimes when there are really high expectations it makes it hard to deliver. The only hard part I thought was trying to find a bad review.  The critic that did not like the movie thought it compared to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” too much. An interesting take but not sure why that would take away from the movie, I would argue that it would enhance it.

Competition During Release

The Dark Knight had some, I’d say, light competition the year it released. Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull were its competitors. But in terms of the Blockbuster, they did not do nearly as well as the Dark Knight.

Why this movie was influential

This movie was influential. I think one of the ways that this can be proven is the success that the Joker had at the box office this year. 10 years later we finally get to see the Joker get played again after Heath Ledger's unbelievable performance. The trailer for the Joker did not give anything away and compared to the Dark Knight there was not nearly the same amount of marketing. People fell in love with Heath Ledger's joker which is very hard to do especially considering he’s a villain. I believe the reason for the success of the Joker is because of Heath Ledger's performance in the Dark Knight. Films Ranked sums this take up perfectly, “The Dark Knight changed the expectations for comic book films forever. Few movie villains have ever become instant icons to the extent that Heath Ledger's Joker did before the film was even released.”