During every 60 seconds there are 20 victims of domestic violence (“National Statistics”). Domestic violence is a punishable crime that can result in the perpetrator spending significant time in jail, yet somehow comedians have found a way to turn this subject into a laughing matter. For example, seasoned stand-up pro Bill Burr once said during his 2012 routine, “They say there is no reason to hit a woman. Really? I could give you like 17 right off the top of my head” (Burr). This daring claim sent the audience into an uproar of laughter. The same joke idea was previously used in Chris Rock’s 1996 routine when he said, “There’s a reason to hit everybody! Ya just don’t do it. Ain’t nobody above an ass whoopin’” (Love)! Again, the audience reciprocated …show more content…
These actions are punishable by law. Though, the law still has trouble protecting all victims from domestic violence. Mark and Valerie Wynn from the Domestic Violence Report wrote, “Even the most well intended police officers overlook violent crimes against women (e.g., sexual assault, stalking, domestic violence) in their communities” (Wynn and Wynn). This is due to multiple reasons. Mostly because the victims of these crimes usually remain silent (Wynn and Wynn). The Journal of Family Violence also claims that, “Women are more likely to be the victim in the relationship and to sustain severe physical injury from the assault than men” (Karakurt). One growing issue from this fact are men’s diminishing family rights. During typical custody battles there is usually favoritism shown towards the mother of the family because women are more likely to be victims of domestic abuse. Thus, fathers are having to give up more of their custody rights because of the court’s ruling in favor of the mother. Though, there are father’s rights campaign groups that are against having this happen anymore. Jocelyn Crowley writes in Social Forces, “..these men maintain that they have been inappropriately targeted” (Crowley). So, the fight continues. Domestic violence victims whether they are men or women …show more content…
The Benign Violation Theory is defined by Peter McGraw and Joel Warner in their article, “The Humor Code” (McGraw and Warner). The Benign Violation Theory is, “the idea that humor arises when something seems wrong or threatening, but is simultaneously OK or safe” (McGraw and Warner). In other words, humor is found between the balance of too offensive and too boring. So, when joking about domestic violence what makes the subject offensive? What makes the subject boring? It’s obvious what makes domestic violence humor offensive- it’s a crime. Not only is domestic violence a crime, but it is a deadly crime. According to the most recent study, over 1,600 women are killed each year due to domestic violence (Wyman). These are not very easy numbers to laugh about. On the other hand, what would make domestic violence humor boring would be if the comedian tried to tip toe around the subject and treat it like the elephant in the room. The comedian must intrigue the audience into listening to them, but not take the seriousness too far before pulling out the punch line. This is what the Benign Violation Theory is all