What’s your favorite comedy?

Sitcoms are a staple on TV. It can be both a joy and a stress reliever to sit back and laugh for a while. It seems to me, however, that there is a trend in what is considered comedy (or maybe I’m just getting old).

You might be thinking I’m talking about crude jokes. While that is concerning, too, it’s not where I’m going with this. I’m talking about sarcasm and insults.

I’ve watched episodes of shows where I would guess that nearly every joke in the show was either sarcasm, an insult, or both. To clarify, I’m not talking about goofy sarcasm. I’m talking about disrespectful or hurtful sarcasm. More and more TV and movie writers seem to think that’s all there is to humor.

It’s All In Good Fun
A movie is just a movie, right? Not really. The more we watch something the more likely we are to emulate it, especially if we get the immediate positive feedback of people laughing at our joke.

TV also gives a false impression that it’s all harmless. In the show, an insult is thrown and it just rolls off the person’s back. At the end of the show, everyone is happy and next week it all starts again with no impact from the previous week.

Life Is Different
In reality, insults hurt. In real life, constant insults and disrespectful sarcasm lead to broken relationships and struggles with depression. In fact, what is considered funny in some of these shows would have a different name in the real world, bullying. The harsh words of insults and disrespectful sarcasm stir up anger, not laughter.

Jesus gives us a different way to treat people. God encourages us to build each other up rather than tear each other down. The Bible tells us to treat each other with respect. We should stand up for one another, pray for one another, and speak kindly and softly. This turns away anger. It also helps to prevent or lift people out of the feeling of worthlessness. 

Does that mean we can’t joke around?

Of course not. There are plenty of ways to joke around and not have it be at someone’s expense. 

Dear Jesus,

Help me to speak kindly to others and remember how hurtful words, even words spoken in jest, can be. Forgive me for the times I’ve torn others down for the sake of a laugh and mend those relationships.

Amen.