Louis C.K. and the Social Justice War on Comedy

This is the Louis C. K. comedy routine than has the usual Social Justice Warrior “That’s not funny!” scolds in a tizzy this morning (NSFW, just in case you were unclear on that part):

“You didn’t get shot! You pushed some fat kid in the way, and now I have to listen to you?”

Back when I was doing standup comedy in the 1980s, this wouldn’t have even raised an eyebrow. Setting aside Louis C.K.’s sleazy (but non-indictable) exhibitionist masturbation, it’s curious to see someone who cheerfully violated taboos both left and right suddenly subjected to the standard SJW Five Minute Hate Mob for material so comparatively mild.

Remember all the conservative calls to end Louis C.K.’s career after he talked about wanking off on 9/11?

Yeah, me neither.

One can only imagine the outrage if the SJW were freshly presented with really transgressive comedy routines from the likes of Lenny Bruce, Red Foxx, Robin Williams, Richard Pryor, Bill Hicks or Sam Kinison. One can imagine that the accidental broadcast of an Andrew Dice Clay concert might result in San Francisco burning to the ground.

The collision course between Social Justice Warrior ideology and comedy has been a long time coming, sweeping in everything from Monty Python to Bill Burr and everything in-between.

So the right gets to own all comedy from now on? I’m fine with that. We’ll get Blazing Saddles and Archer and South Park and the left gets to keep Kathy Griffin and drum circles.

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