Politics

When thinking about comedic censorship, most people don't think about politics. However, politics and polititions play a major role in the lives of comedians. One of the most common topics that comedians target in their sets is politicians. Very often, this brand of comedy is encouraged by politicians as a check on their power, showing that no one should be exempt from criticism. Despite this, there are still numerous cases of politicians trying to censor comedians when they are the target of jokes. But why?

​

Not every politician is the same. No one would equate the character of a leader like Kim Jung Un to that of former President Barrack Obama. Obama, was a known supporter of the White House Correspondents dinner which often turned into a roast-fest targeting the President and other high ranking officials. Kim Jung Un however, is not someone who enjoys being the butt of the joke. When The Interview, the 2014 comedy film produced Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg about taking out the dictator of North Korea, was released, Un felt personally offended and threatened by it. He went as far as to ban entry into the country for those connected to the film, and to encourage hackers from North Korea to infiltrate private documents from the Sony studio heads.(CNN) 

​

Another instance of this is when comedian Hasan Minhaj's comments about the killing of the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi were shown to the leadership of Saudi Arabia, it was forced to be taken down from all platforms. Nothing that can be seen as a threat or criticism of the government is permissible in these places. 

​

Politicians in many places feel entitled to be above criticism. They fear that if they are viewed as imperfect then their power is threatened. Very often these politicians will claim that the offensive material must be taken down for the wellbeing of society, but really it is to protect themselves. That is why political leaders will often censor material they view as dangerous. This practice is commonplace around the world and is a significant source of comedic censorship.