Punching Up, Punching Down, and the "Sense of Humor"

It seems that in recent years we have heard a lot about humor "punching up" or "punching down"--phrases useful because they do remind one that comedy does indeed punch out at something.

Still, one can argue that which direction one is punching in may make a great deal of difference morally.

When someone punches "up" the idea is that the target of the joke is someone life has treated fairly well, for aren't they sitting up there? They might prefer not to be laughed at all if they can help it, but fundamentally they're secure, or have reason to be, and so they "should be able to take a joke," especially one made by someone standing below them in the social scale, and essentially harmless.

By contrast punching down does the opposite, hitting out at those life has treated less well--less well than the one making the joke. They aren't so secure. The expectation that they "should be able to take a joke," especially from this source, isn't necessarily as reasonable. Frankly the mockery easily crosses the line into bullying, as those making the joke affirm when, if the butt of the joke protests, they retort "What? Got no sense of humor?"

Maybe they don't. And maybe they shouldn't be expected to have the "sense of humor" required to take another punch with good grace, having taken too many punches already just getting through the day, so that the only decent thing to do is to not add to their misery--or at least, acknowledge that after throwing a punch at them others have the right to criticize them for having done so.

Alas, these days those eager to defend the right of the bully to punch down with immunity are all too prone to present themselves as advocates of "free speech," and the mainstream media being what it is (and for all the evidences of degeneracy, has always been in significant degree), the organs of the press prone to treat their most dishonest claims with the respect they never show the truly downtrodden.