Ep. 8 – Can We Take A Joke? When Outrage and Comedy Collide

College campuses and universities used to be center stage for big name comedians. Not anymore. Stars like Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Maher have publicly criticized the wave of political correctness that condemns anything perceived to be offensive. Comedian Chris Rock says he stopped playing campuses because of the students’ “…social views and their willingness not to offend anybody.” Rock added, “you can’t even be offensive on your way to being inoffensive.”

The documentary “Can We Take a Joke?” explores the origins of the anti-free speech movement and its impact on what used to be considered funny. In this episode of Talkenomics, director Ted Balaker and comedian Karith Foster explain how the culture of outrage and rise of social media mobs silence comedians. Foster says humor can make people think and, “…there needs to be more punch lines and less pouting.”

The documentary is now playing on college campuses across the country and will be released to the public this summer.