Insult comedy is a comedy genre in which the act consists mainly of offensive insults directed at the performer's audience and/or other performers.
Typical targets for insult include individuals in the show's audience, the town hosting the performance, or the subject of a roast. An insult comedian often maintains a competitive and interactive relationship with his or her audience. The style has been described as 'festive abuse'.
The style can be distinguished from an act based on satire, or political humor. Insult comedy is often used to deflect or silence hecklers even when the rest of the show is not focused around it.
Read more about Insult Comedy: Notable Insult Comics
Famous quotes containing the words insult and/or comedy:
“To insult a friend implies that you respect his masculinity enough to know he can take it without acting like a crybaby. The swapping of insults, like the fighting between brothers, becomes the seal of the male bonding.”
—Frank Pittman (20th century)
“The comedy of hollow sounds derives
From truth and not from satire on our lives.”
—Wallace Stevens (1879–1955)