This archive report was first published on 18 September 2019.
Comedy's Dark Side: The Privilege of Punching Down ¶
As a comedian, I've seen firsthand the dark side of the industry. For 14 years, I've been performing standup, and at times, I've felt like I'm stuck in a never-ending cycle of bullying and ego.
But it's not just the comedians who are the problem – it's the system that enables them. The comedy world is dominated by straight, white men, and it's this privilege that allows them to punch down and silence marginalized voices.
Take the recent case of Shane Gillis, who was hired by Saturday Night Live and then fired after footage surfaced of him making racist comments on his podcast. The reaction from some comedians was predictable – they cried 'cancel culture' and worried about the impact on freedom of speech.
But the real issue is not about freedom of speech – it's about the lack of diversity and inclusion in the comedy world. When comedians like Gillis are given a platform and then use it to spew hate speech, it's not just a problem for the individual – it's a symptom of a larger issue that affects us all.
As Higgins notes, 'when just one voice is heard, that voice quickly becomes boring.' It's time for the comedy world to move beyond the tired tropes of punching down and to create a more inclusive and diverse space for all comedians.
By doing so, we can create a comedy world that's truly funny – and truly brave.
Published on September 18, 2019, in The New York Times.
