Untouchable? Should certain subjects be banned from comedy?

History Index Librorum Prohibitorum- a list of publications that were prohibited by the Catholic Church. 1 st major banned books index was called the “Tridentine Index” and was published by Pope Pius IV in 1564 in order to “protect the morals of faithful Catholics”. First Amendment- ratified in 1791, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution ensures citizens with freedom of speech and press.

Assignment instructions: “Read the following sources and introductory information carefully. Then in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges or qualifies the idea that some subjects should not rightfully be touched by comedy.”

Overview of Sources: Controversial depiction of Muhammad published in a Danish newspaper. An article in the “Freedom Forum” which states that nearly 40% of Americans believe that free speech should be curtailed in times of “crisis” but also presents the idea that comedy can be effectively used to “explore social issues”.

C) “Muslims Have a Right to be Offended by Discrimination”: We have a right to free speech, but we should not abuse our 1 st amendment by using it to joke about very personal or serious topics. D) “Art, Criticism and Laughter”: Plato and Aristotle both believed that laughing too much at something too controversial or “ridiculous” puts your own dignity in question. E) “No Offense, but…” : Comedians have the responsibility of communicating clearly to make sure that the audience understands the message of the performance. If the comedian makes it clear that stereotypes are being used to communicate something positive, the audience cannot be offended. F) “Bush takes heat for WMD jokes” : Democrats and many Americans are offended that Bush “joked” about the search for weapons of mass destruction by pretending to “look” for the weapons under furniture in the Oval Office on TV. Many Americans are deeply offended that a war that has cost many lives in being “made light”.

My Position and Arguments “It would be neither practical nor right to censor comedy regarding any subject” Violates authors right to free speech There are so many different groups in the world that it is natural that one group will always be offended by something. If one subject is censored because it is offensive to a certain group, then other groups will demand that other subjects be censored.

Qualifiers: *The first Amendment guarantees Americans’ right to free speech and press, however, Americans should not abuse this right by intentionally presenting material that they know may be offensive. Comedians and authors must take responsibility for what they create and how they present their message.

Opposing Viewpoints: It does not matter how supposedly “impractical” banning certain subjects from comedy may be. Making fun of religious subjects in unnecessary and will simply cause disharmony within a country. Making fun of politics in a time of political crisis will lead to disunity within a nation.

Questions For Discussion: What is the importance of comedy in society? Do you think that certain subjects should be banned from comedy? If so, which? How would one measure how “offensive” a subject is? If certain subjects were to be banned from comedy, who would determine what these subjects were? (i.e.: the government, etc.) ROLES: -COMEDIAN who has worked with controversial subjects and has presented messages that could be seen as “offensive” -A religious leader, such as a PRIEST, RABBI, IMAM -A current POLITICAL FIGURE - THOMAS JEFFERSON