Satirizing sensitive topics
Is this offensive?
(Photo of Jessica Perkins taken by Jen Ochej)
By Jordan Barrera
After a woman was sexually assaulted at a Pittsburgh Penguin’s game, an article about the attack concluded with the game’s final score.
Jessica Perkins, a Toronto-based sketch and stand-up comedian was part of the Second City house company at that time. One member came across the article and brought it to the rest of the cast. Upset by how the victim’s experience was trivialized, they decided to satirize the article.
On stage, Perkins and the troupe compared the article to other fictional situations just as ridiculous. The scene was designed to show how the article was inappropriate. This included a sexual assault at a Shoppers Drug Market, the punchline being that Optimum Points were still available.
After the show, an audience member told Perkins they were upset by the content.
Perkins’ philosophy on satirizing sensitive subjects is that there needs to be a clear message about the topic. She says this message doesn’t have to be ground-breaking, but it must come from a place of knowledge and an authentic personal connection with the subject.
“If you’re dealing with a difficult subject, you have to have a very clear perspective and point of view on it, otherwise you can be accused of using it for shock value,” she says.
After the complaint, Perkins began to question the direction the troupe should take with the scene. Her director told her, while sympathetic to the audience member, the complaint proved the scene was successful because it caused a reaction.
Perkins and Sophie Kohn, managing editor for CBC comedy, both agree that being able to satirize sensitive topics allows us to critically analyze difficult issues. Kohn says every topic can be used in satire, but there are a few steps that must be followed.
When writing satire, Kohn analyzes her work using the idea of “punching up vs. punching down.” The goal is to punch “up” at powerful figures as opposed to “down” at individuals or groups who are vulnerable. She uses this strategy to make sure the butt of the joke is aimed in the right direction.
Sean Mckiernan is the general manager of Absolute Comedy, a comedy club in Toronto. Although he doesn’t have a say as to what material a booked comedian may use, his unwritten rule excludes two words from being says in an act. If those words appear in the set, the comedian may not be booked at the venue again.
“If they do risky material, they can cut themselves off from a lot of club work,” Mckiernan says. “The less risky it is, the more they’ll be accepted in clubs.”
Mckiernan regularly books comedians who are familiar to him because he knows what their sets will generally include. Even though the club does not do trigger warnings before shows, he says the venue has not seen any backlash from audiences.
After Perkins received the complaint about her scene, she says putting a trigger warning at the beginning of the show should have been considered, even though the material was intended to criticize the writing of the article and not the victim’s assault.
“I think laughing at something that’s difficult offers an opportunity to gain strength over that subject,” Perkins says.
There are topics that she won’t use in her work because she doesn’t feel she has the right perspective to do so.
One episode of the show Louie explored the origin of the word “faggot” by having gay comedian Rick Crom, explain its past and implications. The scene was cut with quips from several comedians before Crom gave his speech.
“That scene itself has done more to stop young gay comics from using the word faggot than anything I could ever do on a one-on-one basis,” Crom said on an episode of Interview with the Artist.
Perkins enjoys taking on material that revolves around taboo topics, but is mindful of the broader picture and the potential effect it may have on some people. After she was told that her performance upset an audience member she reflected on how she can improve the delivery in the future.
“If you have a personal connection to something then it will give you even more material and ways to look at that subject,” she says.