How to Avoid Offending an Audience with Political Jokes

It's impossible to completely avoid offending anyone while doing political comedy. Politics is a touchy subject and anything on the spectrum is bound to offend somebody. There are, however, certain techniques to keep it safe while still getting the point across.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Material
• Audience

1. Keep it as broad-based as possible. Don't advertise a specific agenda. Instead advertise an idea or a way of thinking that people can get behind. True satire is about the message of the way things 'ought to be, not rallying behind a certain agenda.
2. Don't assume something is common knowledge. You'd be surprised how often that isn't the case. If you think you're giving the audience too much credit, you are. If you don't think you're giving the audience too much credit, you are.
3. Be light-hearted, yet passionate. Don't get on a pedestal. Instead, laugh and shrug. You have a beautiful idea and all you want is for people to hear you out and laugh with you. It's hard to offend somebody with that platform.
4. Try to do a little tongue-and-cheek humor on both sides. Personally, I followed a John McCain joke with a Hilary Clinton joke. This gets back to that whole idea of advertising an idea as opposed to an agenda.
5. Have fun and don't take yourself too seriously. The audience will know if you are.