“A thing is funny when—in some way that is not actually offensive or frightening—it upsets the established order. Every joke is a tiny revolution. If you had to define humour in a single phrase, you might define it as dignity sitting on a tin-tack. Whatever destroys dignity, and brings down the mighty from their seats, preferably with a bump, is funny. And the bigger the fall, the bigger the joke.”
George Orwell
When the tables have titled against you and the bullies have won, you still have humour as a weapon. Comedy then, is not only a way to entertain but a way to dethrone – and those skilled enough at crafting artfully subtle messaging can dethrone the mightiest of tyrants – or at least, have them leap up from their chairs with a shrill cry of “ouch”.
