Black comedy, dark comedy or gallows humour is a branch of comedy that looks at war, death and illness from a humorous perspective. The premise involves taking something that is considered serious or painful and looking at it in a lighter vein. The key to good dark comedy though is to know where to stop. Because when taken too far, it can turn into silly comedy or even be considered insensitive.
Recently, comedian Trevor Noah and host of ‘The Daily Show’ compared the post-Pulwama conflict between India and Pakistan to an entertaining Bollywood song and dance sequence. He made light of the ongoing tensions with comedy which didn’t sit well with people. He faced backlash over his routine which was called offensive and racist.
When Twitter user @zainabsikander called him out for his joke, he replied saying that his intention wasn’t to hurt anyone’s feelings.
Actually if you watch my stand up you'll see that I did make jokes after my mother was shot in the head. As a comedian I use comedy to process pain and discomfort in my world but I am sorry that this hurt you and others, that's not what I was trying to do. https://t.co/OuVnkHyIfG
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 2, 2019
But his subsequent tweet drew flak for saying that people were more upset and angered over his joke than the actual issue.
It's amazing to me that my joke about the conflict in India and Pakistan trended more than the story of the actual conflict itself. Sometimes it seems like people are more offended by the jokes comedians make about an issue than the issue itself.
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) March 2, 2019
Many believed that it negated his earlier apology. Some people also pointed out that poking fun at one’s own dark past is different from taking a jibe at someone else’s pain and suffering.
https://twitter.com/siddharth3/status/1102088525380386823
This is a seriously shitty take. Also factually incorrect. In the nations that were involved in potential conflict, the soldiers trended far more than your “joke”. It’s surprising to see that racist stereotypes aren’t a problem for you when it comes to other cultures.
— Sandhya Ramesh (@sandygrains) March 3, 2019
I think part of the problem is in your point right here: when your mother was shot that was YOUR pain and discomfort and you got to choose how to process it. This is you choosing to make light of other people’s pain and not in a comforting way.
— Tia (@_tiagarcia) March 3, 2019
You can make jokes about your own traumas. No one is stopping you from dealing with your personal demons In your way. However, it’s a completely different thing making fun of something that someone else is going through. Could’ve come up with a better apology.
— H (@21MilesNorth) March 3, 2019
Black comedy is great when it brings a smile of relief in a painful situation. But as Paul Lewis, Professor of English, Boston College, stated in his paper on gallows humour, the ‘context’ and the ‘person’ who is telling the joke also affect its overall funny quotient. These two variables also affect the perception of the intended joke.
In this particular case, both seem to have gone wrong and neither the timing nor the racial stereotypes made it any better. Someone wiser than I once said, “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.” Trevor clearly did exactly that.