The Lost Humor in Modern Woke Society: A Case Study of 'Blazing Saddles'

No, you need a sense of humor, and it seems that the woke culture has had its sense of humor surgically removed. A must-see film, Blazing Saddles, is one of the most woke movies ever made. A black man and a Jew take on a town of bigots, win them over, and defeat a corrupt railroad. The bad guys, on the other hand, are the ones using the n-word and are flatly called '… You know, morons.'

What Is Woke Society?

The real and original definition of a 'woke' individual is someone who recognizes that social injustice exists. For instance, when I moved to the USA, Washington D.C. in 1995, it took me around two weeks to realize the level of social injustice in the USA is significantly higher than in any European country. Blazing Saddles clearly points out social injustice, racism, and open mocks those who are racist.

Woke society is acutely aware of social injustice, which is the core of wokism. Woke society is aware of those who perpetrate and perpetuate it. The challenge is whether a woke society can still make fun of people who perpetrate social injustice?

Blazing Saddles and Ironic Humor

Blazing Saddles employed irony to highlight social injustice. As Ricky Gervais remarks, 'Ironic humor is laughing at the wrong thing because you know what the right thing is.' Americans are often referred to as 'irony-impaired' by the rest of the English-speaking world. Young people and women, particularly in American society, are often the least capable of recognizing and appreciating irony.

Almost a Lost Art: The Humor of Irony in Modern Times

Unfortunately, in today's society, young American women are among the worst audiences for movies that heavily use irony. This shift has made it difficult to create films like Blazing Saddles that can effectively use irony to highlight social issues. The irony gap between different generations and demographics has widened.

The Hypocrisy in Woke Advocates' Reaction

This is where the hypocrisy of some woke people becomes glaring. They claim to be open-minded about people's choices, yet they cancel and shame others for not sharing their sense of humor or preferences. Here's how they think:

You don't have my sexuality, I don't have yours, but that's fine. You enjoy yours and be proud. You don't identify as the same gender as me, I don't identify like you, but that's fine. You do you and be proud. You don't have the same body type as mine, I don't have yours, but that's fine. You enjoy yours and be proud. You don't like the same music as me, we all have different tastes, so you enjoy yours and be proud. You don't like the same art as me, we all have different tastes, so you enjoy yours and be proud. You don't like the same food as me, we all have different tastes, so you enjoy yours and be proud.

...

But when it comes to humor and irony, they immediately call for cancellation and shame if it doesn't align with their preferences. This utter hypocrisy underscores a significant problem within the woke movement.

Conclusion and Future Implications

A movie like Blazing Saddles could not be made today because in general, young American women are destroying irony simply because they don't understand it. This highlights a broader issue: the erosion of a shared sense of humor and logical reasoning within a segment of society that claims to be inclusive and open-minded.

As such, it is crucial for media creators to consider the audience's ability to appreciate irony and satire. It is equally important for individuals to cultivate a diverse and inclusive sense of humor, one that embraces a variety of perspectives and understandings.