When Is a Joke “Too Soon”? — Comedians Discuss on Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast #132

To honor the death of Gilbert Gottfried, Pretty Much Pop addresses jokes like the 9-11 one he was pilloried for. Can comedy really be “too soon” in relation to tragic subject matter? Is comedy really tragedy plus time, or are jokes most needed immediately when pain and discomfort are most acute?

Your host Mark Linsemayer is joined by three comedians: Adam Sank (of the LGBTQ-themed Adam Sank Show), Twitch-streaming songster Meri Amber, and returning guest Daniel Lobell (graphic novelist and podcaster). We get into tailoring jokes for an audience, coping with grief, and of course some talk about triggering, hyper-sensitive audiences, and cancellation (Chapelle, anyone?).

Watch Gottfried’s infamous joke yourself:

A few perspectives we may have reviewed before talking:

• “Remembering Gilbert Gottfried” by Daniel Lobell
• “When is a joke too soon? A scientific inquiry” by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner
• “When and what kind of joke is ‘too soon’?” by Maddy Kunz
• “When is too soon for a joke?” by Bridget Jones
• “When is it ‘too soon’ to tell a joke?” By Peter McGraw
• “Louis C.K. Mocks Parkland School Shooting Survivors in Recent Set” by Sopan Deb
• “Comedian Hannah Gadsby’s ‘Ten Steps to Nanette’” from NPR

Follow us @AdamSank, @meriamber, @dannylobell, and @MarkLinsenmayer.

So maybe instead of the “Maccabees,” my Bible camp’s Polish jokes instead made the “Canaanites” the butt of their humor. (Unless that actually again refers some modern, extant people…)

Hear more Pretty Much Pop. Support the show and hear bonus talking for this and nearly every other episode at patreon.com/prettymuchpop or by choosing a paid subscription through Apple Podcasts. This podcast is part of the Partially Examined Life podcast network.

Pretty Much Pop: A Culture Podcast is the first podcast curated by Open Culture. Browse all Pretty Much Pop posts.