The Comedy Ladder

 In the" Diversity Day" episode of season one of the television show The Office, manager Michael Scott learns an important lesson about humor: who is telling a joke can be the difference between hilarity and offensiveness. While Chris Rock can pull off a joke about Black people on his comedy show, Michael cannot without being complained about to the corporate office. Here is the clip:

Toward the beginning of the clip, after mulling over the difference in consequences for him and Chris Rock, Michael asks, "Is it because I'm White and Chris is Black?"

In Drew Hayden Taylor's collection on Native humor entitled Me Funny, Taylor introduces an interesting idea about humor between and among people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Through what he calls a reverse pyramid (or ladder; same essential metaphor) of oppression, Taylor lays down the rules as to which groups can make fun of which other groups. Humor scholars, comedians, and many people from minority backgrounds would probably answer Michael's question with a resounding "Yes!"

I've spoken to many people in my life who have complained about this very issue. They have all been white people harping on about how unfair it is that (insert group here) can make a joke about (insert same group here), but if a white person does it, it's offensive. Needless to say, most of the people I've heard this argument from are none too bright. But it is undeniable that being the majority, being part of the privileged group can be uncomfortable when it comes to humor about and of minority groups. When is it okay to laugh? And should we (when I say we, I mean white people such as myself) be telling these jokes? More importantly, should anyone be telling these jokes?

For me, I tend to laugh when I am amused, and I am amused a lot. I laugh at everything, even when I'm not supposed to. I share this trait with my mom, the only other person in the world I've met who 100% understands my humor. I went through a phase where I refused to laugh at racially charged humor, and then I watched Lisa Lampanelli. I still do refuse to laugh at them unless a professional comedian is making the joke, and sometimes not even then. I have never thought a women's rights joke was funny (which is interesting, because I am a part of that group. Maybe I'm being hypocritical). My point is, maybe it's okay to just laugh when we're amused. We don't have to agree with the humor, but some things are just funny.

However, I don't think the average white person should be telling jokes about Native peoples, or Black people, or Asian people. I am on board with Taylor's ladder of oppression. Don't poke fun at people below you. So, as a middle class, white, female, atheist vegan (and yes, I'm going to go outside racial and gender boundaries into minority choice territory. Deal.), I should be able to make jokes about rich people, males, folks of the Church of Christ, and omnis, since they are all higher and more respected in our society's hierarchy than myself. 

As far as whether anyone should be telling these jokes, maybe they should, maybe they shouldn't. The point is, they're going to do it anyway. White people are going to tell jokes about minorities. Minorities are going to keep telling jokes about themselves and everyone above them on the social ladder. (This is why I'm not a philosophy major anymore). While I don't generally agree with white people telling jokes about minorities, there are of course exceptions for those who make their living off of comedy (sometimes). Maybe all we can do is take a stance.