One of the main reasons religion tends to be despised is the perception of its hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is likely one of the main things that fuels contempt, and also is fodder for comedy.
I remember hearing that one of the main elements of comedy is surprise, and within the very concept of hypocrisy there is also surprise. This makes the whole edifice of stuffy, hypocritical religion a popular target for comedy.
You can tell who really has the power in any given moment based on who you cannot joke about. It is not exactly a 1:1, as you are not necessarily going to be led exactly back to the authoritarian every time you determine what can't be joked about. Sometimes, it's Caesar's favorite pet or the charity that he set up.
Comedy itself is a form of criticism.
Perhaps it is the case that we must welcome even the most scathing comedy directed at ourselves because it is precisely what will humble ourselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment