I'd argue that no legitimate comedy has ever led to "violent repression which was incited, at least in part, by "jokes.'"
I get that jokes are different when there's real pain behind them. I wrote an article on that topic specifically:
But even this take on the issue implies that the jokes themselves are not the problem. They're just touching on something more serious.
Collective outrage and action would be better off directed to those more serious issues. At worst, if the comedy is actually hurtful it's because it's the symptom of a deeper problem. If that's the case, why spend time trying to treat the symptoms?
And I see a lot of this: For example, I hear way more talk about things like cultural appropriation of hairstyles or blackface, than I do about the massive Black and white wealth inequities. There can be some legitimacy to focusing on relatively inconsequential issues, but never at the expense of more significant issues. Comedy is arguably the least significant issue, and one that essentially requires the freedom to cause offense to reach its best form, as well as one that, by its nature, tends to do more good than harm.
