Another day, another so-called “comedian” trying to pass off blatant racism as “comedy.” Tony Hinchcliffe, who I could have sworn was just trolling MAGA for a new bit, has made headlines once more, not for his comedic genius (a term I’m using very loosely here), but for cringe-worthy remarks about Puerto Rico and—brace yourselves—Black people eating watermelon on Halloween. Really, Tony? This is the gold you thought we were all waiting for?
The Definition of Comedy: What Happened?
Comedy, by definition, is supposed to be funny. It should make people laugh. It shouldn’t be predictable, tired, or feel like a cut-and-paste job from the Twitter feed of some guy named “PatriotMark47.” When Tony starts riffing on things like Puerto Rico and stereotypical remarks about Black people, he’s not just crossing a line—he’s dragging himself down to the most unoriginal, uninspired territory possible. There’s a reason actual comedians work hard to avoid stale tropes: they’re not clever, they’re not interesting, and, most importantly, they’re not funny.
The “It’s Just a Joke” Defense: A Cop-Out
When you say something offensive and your only comeback is “it’s a joke,” you’re not really defending comedy. You’re defending the age-old right to be lazy and an asshole. Using “it’s just a joke” is about as original as telling someone to “lighten up” when you know they’re offended—and it’s the ultimate cop-out for people who can’t be bothered to say anything insightful or, heaven forbid, funny. If you have to resort to that tired excuse, you’re essentially admitting that you don’t know how to make people laugh without tearing others down in the most predictable way possible.
The Right-Wing Narrative: Humor or Hypocrisy?
Now, there’s this narrative Tony is peddling that the right-wing crowd is the true bastion of humor. Pardon me if I don’t burst into laughter at this one. Right-wingers having a sense of humor? Have you ever seen a MAGA supporter take a joke about Trump? Spoiler alert: they can’t. You can practically hear the veins in their necks popping when anyone dares to suggest that maybe, just maybe, their golden idol isn’t the most self-aware human to grace the Earth. Good comedy inherently challenges power structures, and for as long as I can remember, most of the genuinely funny comedians haven’t been exactly clamoring to wear red caps. Why? Because humor thrives on complexity, irony, and, yes, a bit of self-deprecation—not on parroting talking points and pushing tired stereotypes.
The Real Comedians: Humor with Depth
Liberals, on the other hand? They’re often the ones writing the jokes, making fun of themselves, roasting their own contradictions. They don’t treat humor as some fragile, sacred relic that can’t be touched, unlike certain “patriots” who act like joking about their heroes is treasonous. They don’t throw a fit every time Saturday Night Live takes a swipe at Biden, for instance, because they get it—humor is supposed to expose the absurd, even in things you like or agree with. But for some reason, that’s an alien concept to people who scream “snowflake” while simultaneously melting down every time someone pokes fun at their ideology.
Bold Humor vs. Lazy Stereotypes
And look, I’m not saying comedy has to be squeaky clean or play nice. The best comedians don’t play it safe, and I respect that. But there’s a difference between bold humor and lazy jabs at the same tired stereotypes we’ve been hearing since the dawn of vaudeville. When you’ve got a mic in front of you, you have a choice: you can push the envelope in ways that make people think, or you can throw cheap shots and hope the few remaining people who find “it’s just a joke” compelling will come to your defense. It’s up to you, but I think we can all agree that the second option doesn’t exactly scream “comedic genius.”
A Call for Better Comedy
So Tony, here’s a little unsolicited advice (as if my little column will ever grace your phone screen, and if it did, that you’d actually listen): if you’re going to lean into the edgy-comedian thing, at least try not to be so predictably awful. I promise you, the comedy world won’t crumble if you give the tired stereotypes a rest and, oh, I don’t know, actually try being funny. And let’s not pretend that “it’s a joke” should ever be a free pass to behave terribly. Because if comedy is an art form—and I like to think it is—it deserves more than lazy tropes and right-wing talking points nearly straight from the mind of the objectively unfunny Stephen Miller.
Also, if you’ve been digging my work on here, and want to see me be able to continue writing as close to full-time as humanly possible, please take a look at my Patreon page at www.patreon.com/mjdistefano. Even $1 a month helps bigly!
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