In the past year, comedian Amy Schumer, of Comedy Central’s show Inside Amy Schumer, has become a household name. She has gained attention for her racy and raucous humor, which in turn has been sometimes called into question. Photo Fair Use of Comedy Central.
By VIOLET MERRITT – Opinions Editor
Comedian Amy Schumer has achieved fame with jokes that, for some, blur the line between purely comedic and inflammatory.
Amy Schumer is one of 2015’s most-talked about comedian. She continues to gain fans and media attention for her distinctly boisterous style through her show Inside Amy Schumer, her movie Trainwreck and her recent appearance as a host on Saturday Night Live.
As is usually the case, Schumer’s rise has been accompanied with criticism, mostly from those who believe that her humor crosses the line into racially insensitive territory.
Among her detractors is writer Monica Heisey. In an article in the Guardian, Heisey addresses what she thinks are Schumer’s racist remarks, in an otherwise positive piece.
“For such a keen observer of social norms and an effective satirist of the ways gender is complicated by them, Schumer has a shockingly large blind spot around race,” Heisey said.
On June 28, 2015, Schumer responded to such claims on Twitter.
“I go in and out of playing an irreverent idiot. That includes making dumb jokes involving race. I enjoy playing the girl who time to time says the dumbest thing possible and playing with race is a thing we are not supposed to do, which is what makes it so fun for comics,” Schumer said. “You can call it a ‘blind spot for racism’ or ‘lazy’ but you are wrong”
Schumer continues in her tweet to assert that her jokes are simply satire, as she is playing off of the those who believe such cultural stereotypes.
“I will joke about things you like and I will joke about things you aren’t comfortable with. And that’s ok. Stick with me and trust I am joking,” Schumer said.
One of Schumer’s sketches that has attracted such criticism is Urban Fitters. In the sketch, Schumer visits a parody of Urban Outfitters and doesn’t want to call the salesperson who helped her black and plays off of the unwillingness of white people to discuss race.
While some find these jokes of Schumer’s to be offensive, they’re simply doing what comedy is supposed to do. Comedy has long been a source of pushing the boundaries. It forces us to talk about the issues, something that the world is always in need of.
The issue at hand is not the debate over whether Schumer’s jokes are funny, as clearly, everyone has their own sense of humor. But when the accusation of racism begins to enter the mix, there’s a clear answer: comedians have and will continue to joke about things sensitive in the world, because with controversy comes conversation. Schumer dares to take her stand i areas where others can not. Schumer has acknowledged that her humor is uncomfortable for some, but the choice to do so is hers. It’s for the rest of the world to respect her choice.
