[Recording Start]
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: As the long-standing comedy writer in our duo and a member of the Mega Society, known for its one-in-a-million high IQ individuals, you have a unique perspective. With your impressive test scores and experience in humorously interpreting real-world observations, how do you perceive the evolution of cultures over time? I’m more interested in the basic processes rather than high-level observations.
Rick Rosner: Alright. Back in the ‘60s, there was a popular thinker, Marshall McLuhan, a fellow Canadian like yourself. He’s best known for saying “the medium is the message,” which implies the significance of the method used to convey information. I was pondering this before we began this conversation. Cultural evolution exists among some animals, but it’s rudimentary compared to humans. Most animals lack complex language, although they communicate through sounds like barks or songs, and some, like crows, can even signal specific threats. However, their communication is limited compared to human language.
Humans are far ahead of other species in cultural evolution. One aspect of cultural evolution is its ability to preserve emerging behaviors across generations, potentially allowing these behaviors to become ingrained through biological evolution. For example, if an otter discovers a new way to open clamshells and teaches this to others, it might not directly lead to evolutionary changes like specialized thumbs, but it’s an illustration of passing knowledge intergenerationally.
Words have always been crucial in this process. For most of human history, words have been the most efficient way to transmit information. We write and speak words, and in the last century, we’ve developed technologies to rapidly share visual and auditory information. Our capacity to absorb information has increased dramatically. My usual example is showing a modern superhero movie to someone from 1968. They’d struggle to follow it because the pace of action has accelerated significantly over the years.
The modern technology we possess today allows us to share information in numerous, highly efficient ways. As we’ve discussed, we’ve already been exposed to a vast array of information, but this is nothing compared to what future beings will experience. Imagine augmented humans 20 or 50 years from now, who will be able to process information through integrated systems, or even the concept of group consciousnesses 150 years from now. These future entities will likely be capable of digesting gigabytes of data in seconds, combining brainpower with bio-circuitry in unimaginably complex ways.
It’s a characteristic of human progress that each generation lives in greater luxury than those two generations prior. Living as an average person today is far more comfortable than living as a king in the 14th century, thanks to the advancements in technology and the wealth of information at our disposal.
To put this in perspective, I’ve written over a hundred thousand jokes, most of which are admittedly not great, and I’ve probably read around 400,000 jokes, mostly on Twitter. Compare this to a farmer in 1908, who might hear three jokes a week if he goes to town. Throughout his lifetime, Farmer Joe might hear a thousand jokes at most. Meanwhile, I’ve been exposed to half a million jokes, not just heard but also seen in movies and on TV. Farmer Joe wouldn’t understand 90% of the jokes we have today because his exposure to humor is so limited.
Take comedians like Neil Hamburger, for instance.
Jacobsen: Is that his real name?
Rosner: I don’t think so; I’m not sure of his real name. But his act is to be the most off-putting comedian in the world. To the average person, his act is just unsettling. He deliberately makes his voice gross, nasally, and snotty, and his jokes are both offensive and poorly executed. He’s purposefully terrible, and yet he’s adored by many comedians. Sarah Silverman, for instance, who is deeply experienced in comedy, probably appreciates his act. She knows more about comedy than even I do, having been exposed to a vast array of humor. There are many comedians who are comedians’ comedians, appreciated more by their peers than the general public.
Zach Galifianakis and Kyle Mooney represent the type of comedians who are palatable to the public but also admired by other comedians for their unique styles. They specialize in creating humor out of awkwardness, often involving unsuspecting people in their acts. For instance, Kyle Mooney used to conduct street interviews where his ineptitude was part of the joke, leaving the interviewees feeling awkward out of pity for him. This approach to comedy is part of a larger trend where, after having seen every conceivable type of joke, comedians explore new forms and push boundaries.
Comedy has evolved significantly over time. In the past, comedy often stayed within the bounds of what was publicly acceptable, with many jokes being generic and not very personal to the comedian. Henny Youngman’s famous line, “Take my wife… Please!” is an example of a joke that anyone could tell. However, as time progressed, comedy became more explicit, incorporating the comedian’s personal experiences and personality.
Now, almost anything can be a subject for comedy, though there are still some sensitive topics. Discussions around Holocaust jokes, for example, are contentious. There’s a lot of debate about how far you can go in joking about such serious subjects, especially in light of recent political figures and events that have revived discussions about Nazism.
However, there’s a belief that with increased cultural sensitivity and the emergence of cancel culture, there are topics that are off-limits for comedy. But that’s not entirely true. It’s more about being aware of sensitivities and issues. For example, jokes about prison rape used to be more common with phrases like “Don’t drop the soap,” but now they’re seen as tacky and insensitive. If you make such a joke now, someone might call you out on social media, highlighting that sexual assault in prison is a serious issue. The key is to avoid obvious, hackneyed jokes.
Looking back at older forms of humor, like the jokes in Playboy magazines from the ‘60s, many of them revolved around tricking women into sex. These jokes often had a rape-like structure, which was more accepted in that era but is considered highly inappropriate now. The evolution of comedy reflects changes in societal values and norms, and what was humorous in one era may be considered offensive in another.
Zach Galifianakis and Kyle Mooney represent the type of comedians who are palatable to the public but also admired by other comedians for their unique styles. They specialize in creating humor out of awkwardness, often involving unsuspecting people in their acts. For instance, Kyle Mooney used to conduct street interviews where his ineptitude was part of the joke, leaving the interviewees feeling awkward out of pity for him. This approach to comedy is part of a larger trend where, after having seen every conceivable type of joke, comedians explore new forms and push boundaries.
Comedy has evolved significantly over time. In the past, comedy often stayed within the bounds of what was publicly acceptable, with many jokes being generic and not very personal to the comedian. Henny Youngman’s famous line, “Take my wife… Please!” is an example of a joke that anyone could tell. However, as time progressed, comedy became more explicit, incorporating the comedian’s personal experiences and personality.
Now, almost anything can be a subject for comedy, though there are still some sensitive topics. Discussions around Holocaust jokes, for example, are contentious. There’s a lot of debate about how far you can go in joking about such serious subjects, especially in light of recent political figures and events that have revived discussions about Nazism.
However, there’s a belief that with increased cultural sensitivity and the emergence of cancel culture, there are topics that are off-limits for comedy. But that’s not entirely true. It’s more about being aware of sensitivities and issues. For example, jokes about prison rape used to be more common with phrases like “Don’t drop the soap,” but now they’re seen as tacky and insensitive. If you make such a joke now, someone might call you out on social media, highlighting that sexual assault in prison is a serious issue. The key is to avoid obvious, hackneyed jokes.
Looking back at older forms of humor, like the jokes in Playboy magazines from the ‘60s, many of them revolved around tricking women into sex. These jokes often had a rape-like structure, which was more accepted in that era but is considered highly inappropriate now. The evolution of comedy reflects changes in societal values and norms, and what was humorous in one era may be considered offensive in another.
Joking about Bill Cosby is something I’ve done countless times, focusing on the more recent, notorious version of him, not the “America’s dad” image he used to have. It’s crucial to understand the current landscape and construct your jokes with awareness. Nowadays, almost anything is fair game in comedy. You’ll even find jokes about oral and anal sex on primetime NBC sitcoms. Of course, they won’t be explicit. For example, you won’t hear “He’s going to have anal sex with you” on a sitcom, but you might hear a veiled reference like, “Oh well, it’s his birthday,” and he gets a ‘special thing,’ which in context, we understand means anal sex. It’s surprising, but it’s a part of cultural evolution.
However, you need to be mindful of the human impact of your jokes. When joking about figures like Harvey Weinstein or Cosby, remember that some of your audience may have experienced sexual assault, and it’s important not to diminish that experience. But, jokes about anal sex are now made on TV shows watched by young teens.
Comedy often serves to communicate taboo information in ways that are more palatable. For instance, outright stating that Kim Kardashian’s billion-dollar empire is based on her being promiscuous is offensive and disrespectful. She isn’t promiscuous; she made a sex tape with her boyfriend, which is now fairly common. Similarly, Paris Hilton became famous after her sex tape was released, likely without her knowledge. This doesn’t make them immoral; it’s a reflection of changing societal norms where non-marital sex is more common.
The Kardashian family, for instance, has been linked with numerous NBA players, but blatantly stating that “the Kardashians like to sleep with tall black guys” is racist and offensive. However, a joke like, “Now that Barron Trump is 6’7”, once he reaches 6’9”, he’ll be eligible to date a Kardashian” is less direct. Yet, if such a joke is posted on Twitter, it might attract criticism for involving Barron Trump, who is still a minor. The backlash wouldn’t be about the Kardashians’ preferences, but rather the inclusion of a young individual like Barron. The joke isn’t a personal attack on him; it’s simply a comment on his height. But people might still criticize it, focusing on his age rather than the content of the joke.
So, what’s your question? I feel like I’ve hit a dead-end in my rambling.
[Recording End]
Authors
Rick Rosner
American Television Writer
Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Founder, In-Sight Publishing
In-Sight Publishing
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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://www.rickrosner.org.
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Rick Rosner 