By using humor that often seems taboo or makes people uncomfortable, comedians that use dark humor are often frowned upon.
Although dark humor has the potential to be a little uncomfortable, it is just like any other type of humor.
The point of humor is to bring people together using laughter and enjoyment. Comedians have many different ways of connecting with their audiences, and some choose to do so in a darker way.
In fact, many use humor as a coping mechanism to deal with difficult situations. The humor used in these situations can often be dark or self-deprecating, and yet, if dark humor helps one cope with difficult issues, they are well within their right to partake in dark humor.
Joking about dark topics can even decrease the fear we have about them.
Comedians thrive on exploring and finding humor in new topics, thus they are destined to explore areas that will offend others.
However, if comedians all stuck to the same, acceptable topics, all shows would include the same types of jokes about the same types of things, making it very stale.
To avoid this, comedians often explore very dark things.
Anthony Jeselnik, a comedian who specializes in dark humor, has spoken many times about his risky jokes.
“I like seeing what the comedian thinks is funny, not just what they think I’ll think is funny,” Jeselnik said.
Jeselnik said that he wants to experience the comedian’s “raw ideas,” not something they have cleaned up for the audience.
In the past, Jeselnik has joked about many topics that could be found disturbing, and has received flack for it from many members of his audience.
He has explored topics such as mental illness, assault and national disasters.
I have listened to many of these specific jokes, and, while some of them made me cringe for a moment or two, almost all made me laugh.
This is mostly because I am well aware that the comedian doesn’t actually possess these views. They are expressed with the sole purpose of making others laugh, not to prove a point.
Critics of dark humor often point to the fact that opinions expressed in dark humor jokes are very distasteful.
However, it is very rare for a comedian to actually agree with these views, they just use them to make a punchline for their jokes.
Dark humor simply helps comedians connect to their audience. After all, that’s the goal of every comedian; to connect to the audience and find out what they enjoy.
Sometimes an audience will enjoy a set of dark jokes, sometimes they won’t, and that is the fine line that comedians walk.
When it comes to dark humor, the bottom line is if you don’t want to hear some uncomfortable humor or you want a lighter subject, just listen to a different comedian.
Dark comedians are exactly what some people would like to listen to in order to laugh and they are well within their rights to enjoy it.
While the uncomfortable nature of dark humor is apparent, it is directed towards a specific audience.
There is always going to be someone out in the crowd that enjoys a dark joke or two.
If these jokes don’t hurt anyone, and aren’t the actually opinion of the comedian, there is no problem with it.
They are are just another way that comedians connect with a group of their audience.
Every audience has people with different senses of humor.
Dark humor is just another category.