Photo by Lily Ferazzi

New age comedians, especially those who have acquired fame on social media, are not funny. Their comedy consists of jokes nothing but shock value. Sure, a 60 second video of a single joke might have the ability to make you let out a slight laugh, but then you scroll to the next best thing. New comedians who have gained such a following from their shortened clips are now touring with full length shows. But their entire repertoire is nothing but offensive jokes that are met with crickets.
But why is it that when it comes to TV shows, known for their derogatory joke-filled dialogue that seems more harsh than comedians, people don’t seem to care? Popular shows such as “Family Guy” or “South Park” are able to get away with bits that would leave a comedian dumped in the canceled wasteland. The reason? It all comes down to “face value” ; there’s no real person making the jokes.
Comedians are being canceled as a result of audiences growing bored with their humor. In a digital age, fans are flooded with fresh content. If they begin to lose interest they can swipe away. Widespread cancellation is an easy way out especially for influencers because most of their fan base is online, allowing controversy to spread like wildfire.
Matt Rife, an influencer–turned–comedian, recently
gained traction for his dark comedy. Rife has been under fire on social media for his jokes going too far. His most recent scandal Involves a bit about domestic violence, and many fans believed he crossed the line from dark jokes to straight up perpetuation of abuse. Comics have a difficult time keeping their career while also pushing boundaries.
Of course seeing cartoon children bundled up in winter clothes dropping F-bombs and commenting on society
with an offensive twang will make some people laugh. They’re fictional people, in a fictional setting with animated humanoid characters. Comedians don’t have the luxury of
being able to hide behind a screen, nor do they have other people to deliver their jokes for them. It’s hit or miss whether a routine will resonate with an audience, so the laziest ones resort to offensive jokes hoping to at least get some kind of reaction from the crowd.
Shock comics use shock oriented jokes to get a reaction from the audience, and there’s nothing else to it. But TV shows have to have a plot and not just rely on a list of offensive jokes. Their goal is not to just get a reaction out of the audience. Having episodes connected to a storyline allows writers to weave offensive jokes in and out through their plot without overkilling the surprise element.
After being on air for almost 25 years, Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” is a veteran of timeless offensive jokes that never seem to grow old. Its witty commentary isn’t catering to a specific reaction. The jokes are allowed to age like fine wine only making the show funnier as the years go by. Offensive
as it is, the show is just pointing their fingers and laughing at people who genuinely think and live the jokes they’re making. The whole point is the fact that people are laughing at the character because it’s not a real person. It’s funny because it’s brazen.
Influencer-turned-comedians are stranded in the lifeboat of raunchy jokes over and over again to keep everyone engaged. By acquiring fame via social media, all they know is the quick serotonin boost viewers get from a joke about controversial topics.
Shock-oriented comedians are unable to have the same clever wit these shows acquire. They are the ones being laughed at. Cartoon characters can seamlessly provide laughter and comfort without the cringe factor of watching someone fail. Audiences should not separate a face from a person’s spoken words, because in the end these people are just exposing their own morals.