After 28 years on screen, the controversial character of Apu is set to be written out of The Simpsons.
20th Century Fox
Writing Apu out of The Simpsons is a simplistic solution to the issue of diversity in media. Instead, we need to support programming created by people of colour.
Satirist Jonathan Biggins on sending up the pollies
Jonathan Biggins, who has been sending up politicians as part of the Wharf Revue for almost two decades, has some sharp words about social media and a warning on political correctness.
Mark Johnson/Channel 4
A young black comedian just told the broadcasting community how it really is if you’re not part of the media establishment.
Helping make jokes racist again?
Shutterstock.
Rowan Atkinson was part of a new wave of comedians who pushed racist comedy to the margins. So why is he defending Boris Johnson now?
Actors Laura Harrier and John David Washington humorously and believably drive home the film’s strong racial irony.
BlacKkKlansman is more than a good story: it expertly weaves together comedy with serious drama to bring the story of past racism to illuminate our present day issues.
Bernard Hermant/Unsplash
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but plastic straws are ruining the ocean.
Image courtesy of Channel 4
The undercover comic has been criticised for tricking public figures into saying stupid things – but that doesn’t mean they didn’t want to say them.
Sacha Baron Cohen’s new series is based on 12 months of undercover interviews.
Showtime
The British comedian’s sly docu-comedy format is perfect for helping people understand and navigate the proliferation of fake news.
John Oliver presents Last Week Tonight. Is he merely preaching to converted?
Screenshot from Youtube
We may be living in a golden age of satire, but comedy has always struggled to communicate across political divides. Much of today’s satire may be preaching to the choir.
Die show muss weitergehen!
The Ian Lowes Collection
Many thousands of Germans got through internment by performing farces, dressing up as women and clapping along to the can-can.
EPA/Abir Sultan
Racist ‘jokes’ embed negative stereotypes. Here’s why it’s not humourless to refuse to join in.
Roseanne Barr at an event for the 75th Golden Globe Awards this year.
2018 Kevork Djansezian/NBC/idmb
The decision to cancel the series – and remove it from air in Australia – demonstrates there is a clear line that even money can’t cross.
How the female memoir helps to celebrates women’s voices.
Pexles
How funny women are turning to ‘femoir’ to promote female empowerment.
Doctor, doctor…
Dean Drobot/Shutterstock
Comedy performers suffer more health problems, a new study has found.
Popular sitcoms like Modern Family avoid reflecting on wider economic realities: Roseanne has filled a void.
IMDB
When it debuted in 1988, Roseanne was a breath of fresh air against the conservative middle class family sitcoms then on air. Its reboot in 2018 feels just as relevant.
Netflix
Netflix hit, Black Mirror, follows in the footsteps of other forward-thinking sci-fi storytellers.
Alexis Dubus
What does it mean for free speech if a comedian is successfully sued by her ex-husband over the material in her act?
marycat879
A philosopher’s take on what makes jokes funny.
BBC
Humour doesn’t often age well. But some comedy can adapt to changing social mores.
While improv comedy in the classroom might nurture your child’s stage talent, it’s also a highly effective way of teaching literacy. Pictured here, La Ligue d'Improvisation Montréalaise.
(Wikipedia Commons)
In the elementary classroom, improv can nurture a collaborative and creative climate in which even reticent kids want to participate.