Christian Science Monitor: Pulling punchlines: Comedy can be offensive.

UC faculty member Omotayo Banjo speaks to Chappelle controversy

Omotayo Banjo in front of stain glass window in City Hall downtown.

Omotayo Banjo is an associate professor in UC's School of Communication, Film and Media Studies.

Associate professor of communications Omotayo Banjo’s research focuses on representation and audience responses to racial and cultural media; an especially timely topic given the response to Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer”.

Thus, Banjo is featured as an expert a Christian Science Monitor article that asks: Is it safe to laugh anymore?  

“Comedians are sort of battling with what they can say, what they can get away with,” says Banjo, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on Mr. Chappelle and how audiences react to racial humor.

The article includes a history of comedy and the comics who have pushed boundaries.  

Read the article 

Feature photo at top courtesy of Unsplash.

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