Page 84 - The Language of Humour

‘CRIKEY, THAT’S A HARD ONE!’ 71
Activity
Debates about censorship usually hinge on drawing the line between
what is and is not acceptable for a given society. Those who push the
boundaries in one direction usually set firm limits in another area: Jim
Davidson—known for his ‘blue’ jokes—finds the Spitting Image
caricatures of the Royal Family offensive.
Are there limits on humour for you? Or do you feel, as
Gerry Sadowitz says, that ‘anything goes’? Find an example of humour
with elements of taboo-breaking that are potentially offensive. Explain
your response to it.
This unit concludes the examination of theories of humour. The final
three units each look at a genre of humour and apply this framework of
analysis to them.