Reverend Obadiah Steppenwolfe Ill (top); Pentecostal Wisconsin (below left) and A British Guide to World Religions (below right)
subject you respect'.’ .lason Kayan. whose show . . . according In Jesus I'eatures the inspired Iagline "l‘he King of Kings is the King ol' ('omedy” leels the w riter/perlormer's heliel‘s shouldn‘t make a dil'l’erence ii the jokes are perl'ormed with wit and sensitiyity. 'l haye l‘ound it hard at times hecatise I don‘t want lo helittle what I helieye in and yet there is so much within heliey'ing thith lunny.‘ he says. 'Whether you are a heliey'er or not shouldn‘t detract from joking ahout a suhject: the jokes can all he very funny. it’s just you‘ll he getting two different opinions ahotit the same topic.'
Ahie Bowman agrees. ‘I don't think my atheism makes my jokes sound cheap. I think they sound cheap il‘ I go for a crude gag.‘
()I~ course. the link hetween comedy and religion is not a new phenomenon. l)a\'e .'\llen
‘NOT A SINGLE MAJOR RELIGION ENCOURAGES LAUGHTER: WHY?’
was making priest and mm jokes hack when his kipper ties were all the rage: the hugely popular Sha/ia Mir/a has heen dining otll on tales ol‘ her dey'out 1\Iusli1n parents l-or nearly a decade. while Jackie Mason has successt‘ully showcased sell-deprecating Jewish humour. The most furious ideological collision hetween religion and comedy in recent memory came ahout when protests were organised against Monty l’ython's l‘)7‘) l'arce life of Brian. ironically thanks to a comical ditty sung hy memhers ol‘ a mass cruciI'iction. which later became a layourite on the football terraces. But is there humour to he found in all religions or are some funnier than others'.’ Ryan Paulson I'eels the religion he was raised in was especially peculiar and therefore
proyides a lot ol comedic material. ‘\\e spoke llt glliliel'lslt. liot' goodness sake. lhe lltol'e unusual and lesser known religions l lind to he the l'unniest. But yes. there is humour to he lound in any religion.‘
So do yott haye to he .lewislt to tell .lewislt
jokes. Muslim to tell .\l11sli1n jokes'.’ .'\hie
Bowman helieycs the hettei' your understanding M a community or religions group. the more cleyerly you can satirise it. ‘I loyed Shit/ta \lit'lais show last year and it could only haye hcen written hy a non Muslim it. they had completely immersed theinselyes in Muslim culture. 'l‘he more you know ahout a religion. and how controyersial it is. the more humour you can e\tract.‘
(iod‘s l’ottery. the perl'ormers hehind 'l‘he (‘oncert l'or l.a\'ert t‘eel laughter is a great way ol getting to know other religions. particularly those considered to he deadly serious. ‘lI‘s Iisually hctter il' .lews tell .lewish
jokes and Mtislims tell .\luslin1 jokes. it only to
get accurate pronunciation ol names. prophets and high holidays. Still. one 111 our layourite
.lolses is the classic “'lltt'ee \len and a Bagel"
which we picked up while hanging 11111 with Jewish triends.‘ ('learly. humour can he a way ol'celehrating as well as lampooning religion.
Yet. as :\hie Bowman. points out. comedians haye a duty not to go lot‘ cheap laughs. hut lo Ilse laughter to raise sc1'ious issues that aren't popularised in other ways. ‘Religious satire is \ itally important. 'l‘his has hecome a huge issue in the wake ol the l)anisl1 cartoon riots, 'llte notion ol .lesus heing nnstaken tor a terror1st IWL‘L‘IIUNL‘ lleis hearded Ltlicl \Iltltlle-l‘.;tslel‘ll highlights the paranoia and moral hankruptcy ol the War on 'l‘error more immediately than any other single idea. Responsihle religious \ttlli‘e cart he till e\tt‘e1nely eI'l'ecIiye weapon against such injusticesf
.017 .III. {I 1111.1 'i/xjs4t \ ell \ .4 1 u /"
Frankie Boyle has a swathe of tough opinions. Most of them funny.
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' THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 15