I'm human. I like words. And I like, above all, to tell jokes. Even if they aren't funny. Even if they don't make people laugh (but you know, a laugh wouldn't be the worst thing in the world).
Talking to people, and making people happy through comedy, is one of the purest things. It's a coping mechanism, but a healthy one. Making the world brighter rather than darker. Spicing up conversation that desperately needs it.
But I was told recently, that some of my jokes are offensive. Maybe too harsh. And I've been wondering: where do we draw the line? How do we determine that a joke is funny, or if a joke is harmful and derogatory?
All comedy cannot be completely free of offense and stereotypes. Many of my jokes revolve around my Indian heritage, about the stereotype that all Indians are IT workers. I don't consider me saying those jokes to be offensive. They're made using sarcasm, obviously not meant to be taken seriously. If exaggeration and sarcasm are taken literally, then comedy simply cannot exist. Taking things with a grain of salt, and learning the nuance behind language, is crucial to being a socially functioning human being.
Yes. I am aware that some jokes take things too far. But those are no longer jokes. They are merely derogatory statements. There is a line between comedy and offense, but that line should not be this immensely restrictive, censored thing. The idea of free speech relies on the notion that we understand when something isn't serious.
Understand that comedic exaggeration is not lying. It is exaggeration. If I wanted it to be true, I would say it as a truth.
Understand hyperboles and sarcasm and exaggeration. It will help all of us in the long run.