Episode #81: A Comedy of Errors

In this episode, Josh and Ian discuss the controversy of Dave Chappelle's Netflix special "The Closer", and then later talk about the comedic parallels in Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story "Polzunkov". In the first half, they talk about how comedy is supposed to function and understanding the performance of a comedian, offense and being made uncomfortable, how jokes might cater to safetyism and whether or not "offensive" jokes lead to physical harm, progressive tribalism, differentiating between sex and gender, whether or not a concept can be "real", the trappings of idealism, how Chappelle's special led to controversy at Netflix and the mass company walkout, whether or not criticism can be undergone by not consuming what is being criticized, their own "tasteful" jokes, the emergence of comedy in history, and Chappelle's new soapbox. In the second half, they talk about an April Fool's Day gone wrong in Dostoevsky's short story, the birth of a Russian comedian, the wisdom of people who live on the streets, what it takes to be public speaker, whether or not the story can be viewed as a cautionary tale, and the burden of embarrassment.

Follow them on Twitter at:
Josh @Simpsonj423
Ian @modernoverman
and the podcast @necessarybspod
Website: https://www.necessarybspod.com/

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Recorded 14 October 2021