So I think I finally figured out why the Babylon Bee is so funny to some people & completely unfunny to others. More often than not, the BB isn't satire; it's sarcasm.
Satire takes a more objective posture, poking fun in a way that reveals foolishness but isn't necessarily interpersonal. Sarcasm, OTOH, is *primarily* interpersonal b/c the joke depends on the reader having a shared (negative) emotional perspective.
In satire, everyone can laugh b/c even if a joke pinches, it's not about the person so much as the foolish/funny behavior. But sarcasm is laden w/ interpersonal & emotional baggage & as a result will only be funny to those who already share similar frustrations.
This is why the BB only appeals to a certain set of readers while something like the Onion has more diverse readership & can reveal our foolishness. The BB is funny to folks who already share its assumptions but pretty impotent at moving anyone who doesn't.
All that to say, satire can be instructive & productive b/c it challenges us & helps us see our own foolishness. Sarcasm isn't instructive b/c it reassures us that our frustrations & perspectives are shared & thus valid. It coddles us instead of challenging us.
(It's unlikely I'm the first person to have this observation about BB so don't get too excited.)
And obviously, the BB does put out some pieces that land as satire but not predictably or consistently so, especially when they're handling those to whom they're ideologically opposed.
Also, we've lost a lot of good humor in the last 5 years--across the political spectrum. When personal insecurities & fears are driving jokes, they just aren't funny, at least not universally funny.
To paraphase a comedian friend of mine, "The worst thing about the Trump years is that they killed comedy."
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
