Comments on: (Updated) If I laugh, just a little bit – am I being offensive?

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 04:09:08 +0000

Jeff – are you allowed to scan and post that Ted Kennedy ad? Wow.

As for defining public figures, aw – you know better than to do this with me! “public figures are those adults engaged in discourse in the public arena.”

Okay now – define public arena.

By: MY COMMENTS…

MY COMMENTS… — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:43:04 +0000

[...] (Updated) If I laugh, just a little bit – am I being offensive? 0912 movers and shakers digg_url=”http://havecoffeewillwrite.com/?p=5708″; digg_skin = [...]

By: Jeff Hess

Jeff Hess — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:40:09 +0000

Shabbat Shalom Jill,

We once spent an evening at the Socrates Café discussing this aspect of humor.

As to who is and who isn’t a public target, I generally adhere to a standard similar to that for libel: public figures are those adults engaged in discourse in the public arena.

B’shalom,

Jeff

By: Jeff Hess

Jeff Hess — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 01:35:52 +0000

Shalom Keith,

I still have all my Nat Lamps, as well as a complete set of Heavy Metals (I subscribed when the name was to be Nova) up through the late ’80s.

The prize of my collection is the special issue with the “If Ted Kennedy Had Driven A Volkswage He’d Be President Today” ad.

B’shalom,

Jeff

By: Keith

Keith — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:59:36 +0000

Jeff:

I have a nice stack of vintage early-mid 1970s vintage Lampoons at my book store if you’re ever interested. I read them when I get bored – great stuff.

Humor is whatever I think is funny.

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:42:05 +0000

Hmm – very interesting, Jeff. So, then, the question does become one of how we define who or what is a private target. Because some private ones might be political ones, or argued as such?

I do like how you say that humor demands the diminution of the target. Very interesting. I’ve never really thought of it that way but I can tell you that it’s probably at the root of why I have a hard time finding humor in a lot of things that others find humorous. More on that in a thinking post sometime – I’ve been wanting to write it for a long time but just haven’t taken the time to tackle it (revolves around an incident when I was about 10).

By: MY COMMENTS…

MY COMMENTS… — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:15:35 +0000

[...] If I laugh, just a little bit – am I being offensive? 1507 BREAKING: Special Midnight “Hickmania Green Jacket” Ceremony… [...]

By: Jeff Hess

Jeff Hess — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:09:18 +0000

Shalom Jill, Ever since I bought the January 1972 issue of National Lampoon I've subscribed to the idea that, in the abstract, nothing is sacred. Humor as a political tool should know no bounds. Having said that, I acknowledge that, by its nature, humor demands the diminution of the target and that there is a difference between the public/political target and the private target. The first is fair game. The second should be protected from public ridicule. B'shalom, Jeff

By: Jill Miller Zimon

Jill Miller Zimon — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:22:24 +0000

Yeah – I think I can chalk up some of this to overthinking – but then, there seem to be a lot of overthinkers out there these days. It just seems so hard to know sometimes.

By: Keith

Keith — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:17:16 +0000

Jill:

The one lasting trait that both Jews and (those who were raised) Catholic(s) have in common is guilt. No you should not feel guilty in the slightest for laughing at any of that. If you can’t laugh at Hickmania, what else is there? Dana Perrino? Funny/not funny? Who knows? And don’t overthink the reasons for mirth. Sometimes funny is just in the mind of the beholder. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Don’t tell Bill Clinton that, though. And don’t laugh at that! That would be insensitive.