Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religion News
Tony Hinchcliffe’s Latest “Jokes”: Not Funny, Just Racist

Tony Hinchcliffe’s Latest “Jokes”: Not Funny, Just Racist

Last updated on: October 29, 2024 at 4:05 am by Matthew Distefano

0 Comments

Tony Hinchcliffe’s Latest “Jokes”: Not Funny, Just Racist 2024-10-28T20:38:16-06:00 Matthew Distefano

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

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.

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

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!

Politics and Religion

News

Politics

comedy and political correctness

offensive comedy debate

racist comedy backlash

right-wing humor critique

satire and comedy standards

Tony Hinchcliffe controversy

About Matthew J. Distefano

Matthew J. Distefano is an author, blogger, podcaster, and publisher. He lives in Northern California with his wife and daughter You can read more about the author here.

Previous Post

October 28, 2024

A Christian Call to Reject Trump and Stand for True Decency

Next Post

October 30, 2024 Why Satire Fails in Today’s Absurd Reality

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"I have to admit I was stunned by this show. I couldn't tell if y'all ..."

Bill Bond

Addressing the Recent Heretic Happy Hour ..."

"I'm so perplexed at how people who talk about others (women, immigrants, etc) with such ..."

Paul

Addressing the Recent Heretic Happy Hour ..."

"Guys like Andrew miss the whole point of being Christian, relationship at any cost, hence ..."

Patrick Dennis

I Debated Andrew Wilson, Here’s What ..."

"I went to an evangelical website and ask them why they would vote for Trump ..."

Guerillasurgeon

An Evangelical Case for Trump as ..."

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Atonement Book Review Early Church Eschatology eternal torment Hell Hermeneutics LGBTQ+ Mimetic Theory Mysticism News Old Testament Podcast Poetry Politics Prayer Religion Sacrifice Satire Soteriology Theology Uncategorized Violence

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 June 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 June 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which branch of Christianity traces its leadership back to the Apostle Peter?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholic United Church of Christ Lutheran

Books by This Author Books by All Set Free

See All Titles »