From political correctness to “cancel culture,” staying “woke” seems to be a comedian's new worst nightmare. While humor functions as a response to the crumbling state of the world, how can someone be “PC” when dealing with offensive jokes?
Comedy changes with the times, and can be a powerful tool for social criticism. As comedian Aislinn Kane, founder Gays are a comedy In Vienna, he says: “Comedy is the most honest way to portray our current societal values.”
Through “punching”; Mocking the church, the police, the state, public figures, or any type of politician, this genre can label anything from authoritarian regimes to everyday misconceptions. The extent to which one can go remains negotiable, as doing so can be compensated Serious political consequences.
Contrary to the prevailing culture of jumping to conclusions, humor opens people to other points of view. Homer Hakim, owner of a comedy bar in Vienna, says plainly that he never wants to tell anyone what he might be joking about.
Comedy isn't inherently fair though. It has long been a vehicle for negative stereotypes, be it homophobia, transphobia, racism, sexism, discrimination against people with disabilities, etc. Comedy as a profession is notoriously discriminatory in itself.
Often, those who complain the most about “cancel culture” are in positions of power, known for their problematic opinions and attitudes. Sometimes it gets to the point where billionaire business owners complain that they can't say things anymore, because these women/trans people/abuse survivors/the homeless and other oppressors won't know how to take a joke.
Instead of “punching down,” Giannis Panagiotidis uses the “punching sideways” gesture. Meaning making fun of people who belong to the same group as the individual. To avoid offending others, but leave room to joke about the nuances of our diverse life experiences.
Aislinn Kane He is a California-born, Vienna-based comedian and founder Gays are a comedy In Vienna.
Yannis Panagiotidis He is Scientific Director of the Research Center for the History of Transformations (RECET) at the University of Vienna. He specializes in the history of migration and is a frequent author of Eurozine.
Homer is wise He is a Vienna-based Afghan comedian and founder of an organization Comedy barthe only bar entirely dedicated to stand-up comedy in Vienna.
We meet them at The Alte Schmiede Kunstverein, Vienna.
creative a team
Rika Kinga Papp, Editor-in-Chief
Murphy Akiel, Artistic Director
Zylvia Pinter, producer
Zofia Gabriella Babb, executive producer
Salma Shaka, writer and editor
Priyanka Hutchenreiter, Project Assistant
administration
Hermann Riesner General Manager
Judit Ksikos is project manager
Ms. Chela Kardos, Office Administration
Octo crew
Senad Hergić is producer
Video recording by Leah Hochdlinger
Video recording by Marlena Stolzi
Clemens Schmidbauer video recording
Audio recording by Richard Prosek
Budapest video crew
Nora Roszkay, audio engineering
Gergely Aaron Babai, Photography
Laszlo Halasz, photography
Post production
Nora Roszkay, lead video editor
Rika Kinga Papp, The Conversation Editor
art
Animation by Victor Maria Lima
Cornelia Frischoff, theme music
Captions and subtitles
Julia Sobotta, Daniela Unifazo, Mars Zaslavsky, Marta Verdibar, Olena Yermakova, Farah Ayyash
Hosted by Alte Schmid Kunstverein, Vienna.
Related readings
Cancel Culture vs. Implementation Culture by Victoria Amelina, Eurozine
Delete your profile, not people By Geert Lovink, Eurozine
Freedom of Movement: A European Dialectic by Janis Panagiotidis
More sources
Conflict, Commitment, and Fear: Post-Soviet Migrants in Germany and the War in Ukraine by Nino Ivazishvili Jane, Alina Jasina Schaefer, and Janis Panagiotidis
disclosure
This talk show is produced by Display Europe: a leading media platform based on public values.
This program is jointly funded by the European Union's Creative Europe Program and the European Cultural Foundation.
Importantly, the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for it.
