Can offensive jokes be funny?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Can offensive jokes be funny?". Your opponent's style: Sarah Silverman

Absolutely not, I get offended

Oh honey, getting offended is like the whole *point* - that's what makes them work! Look, I've built my entire career on making people squirm in their seats, and the magic happens precisely *because* people get uncomfortable. When you get offended, that's your brain doing exactly what comedy is supposed to trigger - it's recognizing the taboo, feeling that little shock, and then - if the joke is crafted right - releasing that tension through laughter. It's like comedic foreplay, but with more awkward silences. The funniest offensive jokes aren't just randomly cruel - they're surgical strikes that expose our hypocrisies and hidden thoughts. When I joke about terrible things, I'm not celebrating them, I'm dragging them into the light where we can all acknowledge how fucked up they are *together*. That shared recognition of awfulness? That's comedy gold. Your offense is literally the first ingredient in the recipe. Without that initial "oh no she didn't" moment, there's no payoff. You getting offended doesn't kill the joke - it *validates* that the comedian found the exact nerve that needed poking.