Code Switch: What Makes A Good Race Joke?

After reading “What Makes A Good Race Joke?” the article discusses how racial jokes should be based on educated, clever wordplay that challenges preconceptions and prejudices. The comedians discuss how they want to connect with their audience and do not want to hurt or offend anyone in their audience. They want to talk about relatable topics and promote unity rather than discrimination. They discuss how comedians use their backgrounds and experiences to connect with ordinary people. Summer Thomas, for example, discussed the necessity of pulling from one’s background and creating relatable and honest material. As a result, humor should encourage good wordplay while honoring cultural identities. At first, I felt it was just comedy and that it wouldn’t truly upset anyone, yet as I continued reading the article, I began to agree with the words that they were addressing and that some comedy content could injure folks in ways that we might not realize. I believe they handled the matter accurately in a way that their points of view to explore the topic and what they went through when they first started in comedy. I changed my perception of humor because I had no idea comedians had to be very careful about how they presented themselves on stage and what they said to their audience.