Guy Williams
Francisco, Sydney… and Kaikoura. You haven’t lived until you’ve experienced an all-male whale cruise.
On the flip side, it does surprise me when people try and say that offensive jokes aren’t funny. They can be very funny. Comedy is partially about surprise, and there’s no easier way to surprise or shock an audience like someone saying something that is horrifically offensive.
But is that cheap laugh worth it when it’s causing sometimes serious harm to its victim? Certainly not.
As part of the majority, it’s often hard for me to appreciate the powerful effect jokes have on reinforcing stereotypes that Pacific Islanders are lazy, or that women are crazy.
More and more when I tell a joke, I need to weigh up the potential laugh against the negatives: offence, prejudice, alienation, sky high chance of failure, and just struggling to find people who want to be my mate afterwards!
I’ve learned that if you can rise above the racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic jokes, you might be able to get a friend to hold the camera for you, and you won’t have to use that selfie stick any more.
Take it from me, as someone who has alienated their audience hundreds of times, both intentionally and unintentionally. You can say whatever you like, but people might think less of you because of it.