Alfie Bown
Not Funny

Comedy has become a pressure point for contemporary culture. It flares up debates about censorship, cancellation, progressivism, and even fascism. 

The now infamous Oscars ceremony which saw Will Smith and Chris Rock – two men known for their harsh and cutting comedy – in blows is the prime example of comedy’s demise. The Oscars are renowned for their ‘roasting’ humour. Yet the event provoked personal and social anxiety among those on stage and off, giving rise to arguments about patriarchy and the ‘overstepping’ of changing contemporary boundaries. 

Politicised controversies over ‘edgy’ superstar comedians like Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle dominate the question of comedy. Recently, the fallout from Paul Currie ejecting a gig guest who refused to applaud the Palestinian flag has challenged comedy’s status as an art form worthy of consideration altogether.

If once comedy was a shared experience of relief – a departure from norms and cultural pressures – today, it is the nexus of social tension. Can’t we, in the traditional sense, share a joke anymore, and we are living in a post-comedy world?

The event will launch Alfie Bown’s latest book Post-Comedy, which can be pre-ordered for pick-up on the night. The Q&A part of the evening may disintegrate into an open-mic gig.

The conversation between Alfie Bown and Pierre d’Alancaisez recorded after this event is available as a podcast.