Punching U
In an issue about ethnic comedy, starting an
article with the word “punching” might not be a
good idea…
But it’s an important concept, and one that doesn’t
just apply to ethnic comedy. Punching upwards
is the idea that people like to see you “sticking it
to the man”, but don’t like to see the little guy get
beat up (or girl, because some comics are girls).
I don’t want this to be a tirade about how tough it
is to be an ethnic in this industry. I’ve found the
opposite to be true. I’ve got many opportunities
I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, it’s allowed me
to find my voice quicker, be more memorable on
lineups, and it’s allowed me to say things I wouldn’t
have been able to say otherwise.
And this certainly isn’t a statement on diversity in
comedy. I’ve found that it’s very rare that those
who would like to try stand up comedy are denied
an opportunity - if you want to get on stage,
you’ll find a way. Perhaps the male-dominated,
predominantly Caucasian Australian comedy
industry is more of a reflection of who wants to
give it a go in the first place, than an effect of the
industry only giving further opportunities to certain
archetypes.
But punching upwards.
(Hehe, “butt-punching”.)
Every society has a pecking order. And punching
up is the idea that you’re allowed to have a go
at those above you. If you pick on someone
below you, then it’s bullying, which nobody likes.
Unfortunately that leaves the majority of the
comedy fraternity at the top of the food chain, and
sometimes confused as to how they got there.
Ironically, it is one of the few things that
disadvantages the White, middle-class male
comedian (hereto referred to as “a Dave”) and
therefore the one thing that (deliciously) makes
him understand what it’s like to be on the outer.
Whether it’s on stage as part of a lineup of 6 other
Daves and an ethnic, off stage, in the comments
section of news.com articles or someone on
a street corner wearing Ugg boots and shorts
declaring “political correctness gone bloody
bonkers”, there’s a common argument of “why
can’t I make fun of them? I make fun of everyone
the same”. And then they tell some heinous
joke about Muslims and wonder why people are
leaving the room.
When it’s not going bloody bonkers, political
correctness is a concept that those who are
advantaged within a society acknowledge that
they find themselves in a privileged position, and
give consideration to those who don’t enjoy that
position. It is about an equalitarian society being
cultivated by those with the power to make it so.
But why CAN’T a Dave talk about Muslims
without feeling the rooms’ butthole tighten? Jon
Stewart did a great piece on it in relation to White
entitlement in regards to the racial tensions in
Ferguson that’s definitely worth checking out.
There is a difference between racial and racist.
And it’s all to do with the question “does this come
from a place of understanding?” It’s fine to be
critical of an ethnicity or minority if it comes from a
genuine place of knowledge, but if it comes from
generalisations and popularly held half-truths,
that’s the definition of stereotyping. The people
that most understand a culture are the people
within that culture. And very seldom a white
middle-class male telling you about his encounter
with a group of Bangladeshi women on the tram,
now with added accents.
Whenever I hear a Dave start a bit about race or
“all women”, I get nervous. For them. It’s really
hard to pull off. Although when it’s done well, it’s a
thing of beauty. Often when it works, a Dave puts
themselves in the position to be the fall guy. It’s the
instant assumption about the situation or culture
that is the punchline. This lets the audience - in