Last Wednesday night, Mr. Aaron Sachs discussed and highlighted the ways in which comedy and humor intersect environmental issues, such as climate change, fossil fuel combustion, and global overpopulation. In my opinion, the use of comedy can indeed make things more understandable and easy to digest, especially if it’s relatable to the audience. When thinking about the pros and cons of this approach, I can see and understand both angles. The first angle is Mr. Sachs’ that encouraged comedy and humor to showcase and make light of environmental issues as well as other generally taboo topics. The second angle is the idea that there are some topics that should be off limits to comedy, such as murder, rape, abuse, death, etc. I personally prefer comedy that’s in the middle of both angles. To me, this type of comedy finds humor in those taboo topics but is written and told in such a way that the gravity/seriousness of the topics remains and is acknowledged. Comedy that essentially respects those that have suffered, are suffering, or will suffer from these topics.

I also find it interesting how people find some jokes with taboo topics funny and the same people find other jokes with taboo topics not funny. If I were to speculate, I would think that this is probably due to personal experiences. For example, a victim of rape might not find humor in a joke about it and instead find humor in death. I think it’s important to recognize that some people in your audience have dealt with difficult topics like these and might not think jokes about them are funny. I also think that if you’re truly a good comedian you would be able to correctly judge the audience and create a safe and comfortable atmosphere, especially while joking about serious topics. While I definitely believe and promote the right of free speech, I do think its power should be used in a respectful and considerate way.