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Philosophy Talk: Comedy and the Culture Wars

Is there a place in democratic society for comedy that finds humor in people's deepest identities?

Comedy can often give offense, especially when it concerns such sensitive topics as race, gender, and sexuality. Should comedy like that be shunned, boycotted, even banned? Can it be enjoyed without danger? Or could it even, at its best, be the road to a better society? Could it somehow help us all to live together, and to come to terms with intractable social issues we’ll never fully put behind us? Josh and Ken have a laugh with Jeff Israel from Williams College, author of Living with Hate in American Politics and Religion: How Popular Culture Can Defuse Intractable Differences.

Join the conversation LIVE this Sunday 1/12 at 11 am by calling 1-800-525-9917, or catch the re-broadcast Tuesday 1/14 at 12 noon.