Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

framptonhollis In the wake of recent controversies dealing with free speech, I decided it was fitting to at last watch this documentary that has been heavily appealing to me for quite some time. As a fervent supporter of free speech, the messages contained within this film play a heavily important role in our modern day society. There is still hope for comedians despite the ridiculous cries of outrage that seem to pointlessly be sweeping the county day by day. Hypersensitivity does no one any good, and this film knows that and begs for our society to rethink the path they are going down. A disturbing amount of people refuse to oppose hate speech laws, and universities thrive on tearing down the values that made them respectable to the liberal minded in the first place. Liberals were once the great free speech figures, but the road they have followed has led them to the polar opposite of such a reputation. This documentary does have its technical flaws, but it is still entertaining as hell, its messages are brilliant and well spoken, its hilarious at times thanks to the cast of comedians, and its also a shed of light for the future of free speech.

MartinHafer The new documentary "Can We Take a Joke?" will almost certainly offend you as you watch it. There are a lot of obscenities and tons of politically incorrect comments and jokes in poor taste…and some of them are bound to hit your hot buttons. For instance, a few of the comedians they interview I happen to strongly dislike. So why would anyone want to see a film that makes you them mad….and why would I recommend you give the film a try? The film mostly concerns the recent trend towards political correctness and the rise in individual outrage and how it relates to comedians…folks who are almost certain to incite folks because they often deliberately seek to offend. Much of the film looks back to Lenny Bruce and his many run-ins with the police involving free speech. It then draws a parallel to today…though this free speech is not being suppressed by the government but by ourselves and our universities. When the film is making this argument, lots of very offensive comedians are featured…including the likes of Lisa Lampanelli and Gilbert Gottfried. Again, as I mentioned above, these folks say offensive stuff and you will be challenged to keep watching it…it's inevitable. So am I suggesting you watch the film because I want you to be offended or insulted? Certainly not---I want to live in a world where people are civil and treat each other decently. But the documentary brings up a lot of good points despite offending the viewer and think it's important we listen and think about their message. Here are just a few of the topics brought up in the film: --Where do we draw the line with what is acceptable and what isn't? This is especially problematic because everyone has different 'hot buttons'….so what offends you may not offend your neighbor.--The First Amendment is not necessarily the same as free speech. How you can have a First Amendment and STILL not be free to speak your mind?--We seem to be in a 'gotcha' culture where anyone can say the wrong thing and become part of the 'villain of the week' on social media. This means folks on the left, right and center could accidentally walk into a firestorm of anger and protest. --Where is this all going to lead? Will the United States become like Europe or Canada where you can get arrested if you say something that is construed as offensive? And, what will the world be like if this is the case? "Can We Take a Joke?" is a challenging film and makes you think about yourself as well as your own personal comfort zone—and this is something rare in a documentary. A good documentary challenges you or your beliefs…and this one sure will. Do I always agree with it? No…especially when some of the comedians they interview say that nothing should be taboo when it comes to free speech. That makes me very uncomfortable, as I sure would hate to hear folks making fun of rape or cancer. But despite offending me, it did get my attention and I appreciate that. Ironically, this film has no closed captions. I am hard of hearing and my daughter is deaf….and I guess this omission is actually a bit offensive now that I think about it.

Courtney Soliday Loved this. I thought it covered an aspect of outrage culture where the people who are mad are not necessarily victims but instead just on a power trip or trying to "pat themselves on the back." The documentary covers different comedy-related incidents that resulted in outrage, all offline. I had no idea cops used to go to comedy clubs and arrest speakers for saying things like "cocksucker." "Is it safe to hold unpopular views on campus?" there are news statistics, etc.Lost 2 stars for the typography effects at the beginning, a bit too much motion for me.Must see for anyone who loves comedy, wants to perform or write comedy, is interested in the First Amendment and self-expression and pop culture fanatics.

fartg1rl "Wah wah, I can't make rape jokes or say the n-word without backlash like I could 20 years ago. People are too sensitive these days" 'Can We Take A Joke' is exactly what you'd expect. 70+ minutes of out-of-touch comedians complaining that their lazy, outdated comedy is no longer funny or relevant to a large portion of Western society. This film is not a look at the broad societal changes in comedy over the last few decades, rather a platform solely for the defense of "offensive" comedy. The comedians interviewed chime on about 'free speech' and 'pushing the boundaries of societal norms', but the typical contradictory message echoed throughout the film is "Stand-up comedy should not be criticized, sit down and shut up!" Save yourself the time and browse the comment section of Youtube for a few minutes.