The Right to Disarms

Comedian Jimmy Carr, one of the most brilliant (and underrated) comedic talents today seems to me the heir apparent to the George Carlin legacy. Here, he contemplates what it would take to fashion to the most offensive joke in the world.

Though I suspect not one person in that audience was truly offended, I can say that for me at least, he fails to offend. Because the act of parsing the joke is an explanation and commentary on the joke which disarms it of any venom. It also happens to be a perfect example of why any form of content-based regulation or restriction is inherently in violation of the First Amendment’s freedom of speech; social and academic commentary are specifically protected and exempted from regulation.

Isn’t this the sort of freedom we fought for from the British?