I just stumbled upon this video snuffling about on YouTube. In our time of current conflict and racial progress, there is insight and learning and this is a good conversation to watch and learn from. Just try to not get too irritated at McConaughey’s `heard’ comments. He means well.

My uncomfortable verbal diarrhoea on transgressive humour

Many of us have a very dry and what we Australians call a mongrel sense of humour where between us and away from others earshot, we push accepted social boundaries and actively try to shock in order to provoke laughter. A couple of days ago, during a phone conversation with a friend, I made a racist gag that popped out of my head automatically and without thought. It jarred on me as soon as I said it and I could feel that it jarred on him as well.

I later texted him back and apologised for it and we had a quick interaction based on our shared mongrel sense of humour and lamented it’s passing. We’ve known each other since Kindy and I think of him as my brother from another mother so our shared humour is a personal connection between us. There’s no logic and we know many will find it offensive - which is the point of it all. It’s not right, we know that. And when we rejoin the wider conversation we keep it hidden. Oh, and we are well aware of how juvenile it is as well - that’s also part of the attraction. It’s a little bit of societal rebellion I guess. And even that is over thinking it.

However, we are sensitive, non racist and empathetic humans as well and are truly horrified at the open racism, hatred and discrimination we see or read about on our screens. White supremacy, Trump’s hillbilly Nuremberg Rally’s, English soccer hooligans, German skinheads etc. It must be said that we would never, EVER say any of the things we do directly to a person of colour or a woman, mentally challenged person, transexual or, well, anyone else. In saying these things to each other, it’s in a trust and confidence in each other that we know the other doesn’t really believe in these retrograde and ignorant things. However…

Society like all living things, evolves over time. Humour, as a societal valve, evolves as well. The Marx Brothers aren’t as funny to modern audiences as they were nearly a hundred years ago. I once showed my godson some Three Stooges clips because I thought he might find them funny but both of us were horrified at the cruelty. Similarly the humour of Monty Python will fade as well (though with the right dope). But much of it, thankfully, still is funny. Jimmy Fallon is not funny now and won’t be in the future, that much is certain and there’s a special place in hell for Chris Lilly who I have to confess, I’ve never liked.

Sometimes though, like all naughty children, we need a metaphorical kick up the arse. This is a time where that is happening and thats a good thing. But having said that, I do hope we can still find time to be naughty in private without hurting anyone but still be aware, learning, anti racist and anti bigoted, shit… `woke’ modern humans.