Humor og ytringsfrihed: analyse af Kenneth A. Paulson og George Carlin

Humor vs. Freedom of SpeechThroughout the history of America, humor has been a part of the American identity. Humor can be offensive and rough, but where is the limit? Should we be able to say and joke about whatever we like, even though it might be hurtful? The freedom of speech is a human right but does that make it okay to say things that are racist, homophobic or diminishes women? The text “Comedy vs. Freedom of Speech” and the show “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” is about whether or not you should be able to say and joke about everything. The text “Comedy vs. Freedom of Speech” by Kenneth A. Paulson, deals with the debate about whether or not the first amendment should be stricter about the freedom of speech, when it comes to joking about taboos and sensitive topics. Kenneth A. Paulson is against the fact that the first amendment should make any restrictions about humor. This is clearly shown in this quote when he states the following: “The right to tell a joke that may offend others is as critical to our way of life as it is to stand on the proverbial soapbox and raise one’s voice in protest.” He doesn’t think that the freedom of speech should be restricted in any way, because he thinks the right to humor is as important as the right to express ones opinion, as they go hand in hand. The show by George Carlin called “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television”, is a parody of how people have different views on which words you can and cannot say and how the list of words change in different environments. The show revolves around George Carlin trying to find out which words you can never say. “That was what I was trying to find out – the words that were always dirty. Not just part of the time. But completely filthy.”In this sentence, George Carlin is explaining how he has been trying to find the words that are considered indecent to use, no matter what the situation is. The whole show is centered on this one point, the doubt about which words are indecent and when they are indecent.