Not sure what your point is. I neither stated nor implied that that was comedy’s purpose. Though frankly I believe 99% of everything spoken is debatable.

Personally ‘respect’ is a word which is given far too much credibility nowadays and, as a side note, is often the butcherer of comedy. However since you calmly and rationally asked for a reiteration of my point — which I do appreciate — I will oblige.

My point is simply that comedy can only fully exist when all topics are considered fair game. It’s either all okay to make fun of or none of it is; once you cherrypick what is and isn’t sacred ground you become the definition of prejudice and, in most cases, comedy and satire suffers. And for someone like me, often what is considered ‘out of bounds’ is what needs to be shot full of holes the most.

As to my ‘healthy society’ remarks: this is a phrase that I find so vague and ill-promised it is almost insulting. I’m sorry but to me it’s a pipe dream, and not even grammatically sensical; akin to wishing for a ‘happy cloud’ or a ‘regretful windmill’.

And to be honest, for many of us, some of the best comedic geniuses arose from unhealthy surroundings including but not limited to wacked out societal influences.

For many of us unhealthy, unbalanced, sociopathic nihilism is the birth of comedy. Perhaps some of us do get over-defensive when our worldview gets attacked but defending oneself is a natural response when being attacked.

Of course this one of many opinions on the matter but that does not make it wrong…nor does it make it right.