Can comedy survive in an age of outrage?

Comedy is under scrutiny as never before. So when is a joke not a joke? Context, intent and expectations are all key, say leading exponents of the art

Comedy is such a simple thing. One person tells a joke. Another person laughs. The end. Simple.

Except, as every comedian knows, simple doesn’t mean easy. Not only do you have to make someone laugh (which is hard), if you’re a comedian, you have to make them laugh in the right way. At the right thing. For the right reason. We can all make a gag about Trump’s hairdo, but that won’t get us very far.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YwiP49