DISCUSSIONS

In today's hyper-connected world, social media platforms like X, Facebook, TikTok, and so on, that amplify opinions at an unprecedented scale, fueling a culture where humor is frequently criticized and outrage is often expressed on behalf of others. This phenomenon, driven by well-meaning but misguided advocates, or simple assholes who have nothing better to do than make everyone else miserable, assume or claim that certain jokes are inherently harmful and that marginalized communities require protection.

However, many of those supposedly being “defended” are growing frustrated, tired of having their feelings co-opted by self-appointed guardians and "social" gate keepers. It is simply intolerable the ways it stifles humor and free expression, and the backlash from communities rejecting unsolicited advocacy and using people for others own ends as "self professed social justice warriors" who are less about justice than self-righteous promotion and "virtue signaling."

The Need to Shut the Fuck Up

The outrage surrounding humor often stems from a genuine desire to protect marginalized groups from perceived harm. Social justice movements have heightened awareness of issues like racism, sexism, and transphobia, leading some to view comedy as a potential vehicle for oppression. The problem is, no one was asking them and they stifle even jokes that criticizes sensitive topics by expressing how ridiculous it is. While the intent to safeguard vulnerable communities is understandable, this approach often ignores context, intent, and individual agency, assuming that entire groups respond uniformly. In short, since they do not comprehend humor they need to just "shut the fuck up."

Knock off the Bullshit

Transforming lighthearted humor into heated debates isn't "combating" anything other than the freedom of people to speak their own damn minds for themselves and "if offended," are more than able to speak up for themselves without other assholes that incentivizes people to "proclaim outrage" and turn it into personal social currency. This "offended by Proxy" crap is hypocrisy in and of itself by taking offense on behalf of communities that one doesn’t even belong to—has become a defining trait of this shit culture. Often labeled properly “white knighting” or “virtue signaling,” this behavior assumes that marginalized groups are too fragile to handle humor or advocate for themselves, which is far more insulting. This says more than enough:

"I’m sick of people getting mad for me over a joke I found funny. I will decide what’s offensive to me, not you!"

Such statements reveal the disconnect between the so-called advocates and the communities or individuals they claim to represent, which no one asked them to "represent them in the first place", raising questions about who actually benefits from outrage culture. The truth is, sensationalist media and douche bags desperate for their own pathetic need and demands for "validation."

Stifling Humor and Free Expression

Historically, humor has been a powerful tool for challenging norms, sparking dialogue, and fostering resilience, and recognizing the necessity for comedy, be they from famous or unfamous individuals, to push boundaries to expose societal flaws and hypocrisy, as well as obvious idiocy thrown right back in their faces. Pushing a culture of , fear of backlash now leads many to self-censor, which is in itself unacceptable and oppressive, not liberating. Those who push this "cancel culture" agenda are not part of solutions but part of the major problems that prevent artistic expression and preventing deeper conversations becomes some little bitch or bastard got offended.

Undermining the Agency of Marginalized Groups and Individuals

Proxy outrage often infantilizes the very communities it seeks to protect, implying that they lack the ability to navigate humor independently. This assumption breeds resentment. By assuming universal offense, advocates erase the diversity of perspectives within these communities, dismissing individual voices in favor of collective outrage and imposed group think hive mind mentality, only to then become the abusers and suppressors themselves in what can only be called a victimized bully complex.

Exhaustion and Division

Constant policing of humor creates a culture of exhaustion, alienating both those who enjoy irreverent comedy and those who don’t want to be “protected,” and do not care for nor want to be sucked into some "organization" naming themselves as a "whatever" community and then demand funding as advocates for people who never were and do not want anything to do with those money grab organizations that do not actually "aid" those they claim to represent. That makes it a socialized scam.

This divisiveness fractures potential alliances, as communities that might share common goals are instead pitted against each other over minor slights. Moreover, the outrage cycle distracts from substantive social issues, shifting focus from systemic problems to symbolic battles. That makes it another reason why those individuals and organizations need to shut the fuck up and be shut down because their bullshit is also exhausting with their fake rage and utilization of mentally unstable people as their tools of harassment and coercion.

Solutions to Move Beyond Outrage

The first step to confront them and inform them to back the fuck off and then remind them that humor is subjective regardless if they like it or not What offends one person may amuse another, and assuming universal offense disregards personal perspectives.

Those tempted to take offense on behalf of others should keep their shit to themselves unless asked for support, and should engage directly with the actual communities they claim to represent, not the organizations that use such communities as a label or brand, and again, shut the fuck up and start listening to actual sentiments instead of projecting fragility onto others who are beyond fed up with other assholes ruining their enjoyment of a show or event where the whole damn thing is unrestrained comedy! They don't need strangers being or playing roles of babysitters of them as individual and freely thinking adults!

The next thing is to stop giving these assholes all the intention and start cancelling their asses by confronting them and refuse to self censor in responding to these "virtue signalers." Being nice or considerate to such idiots is what allowed for it to become what it has become. That requires those fed up with the crap to keep pushing back, arguing that humor is essential for connection and conversation. Additionally, its a fight back against these trespasses against freedom of speech and expression regardless if they "like it or not!"

Promoting Media Literacy

This is one that has been sorely lacking for some time. To counter social media’s amplifying effect, users must develop media literacy skills to critically assess outrage driven or fake outrage driven content. Understanding the incentives behind viral threads—attention, clout, or group signaling—helps users resist joining pile-ons without deeper reflection. Educational campaigns could teach users how to evaluate humor in context, shifting focus from performative rage to thoughtful critique. Another simple point of "Education" is to inform them to "get over it and get over themselves," and if they "don't like something" they don't have to read, watch or react to it. Frankly, one can call the performative rage a hate crime against freedom of speech and expression and those who practice and uphold it, using their own bullshit claims and terms against them.

Conclusion

Proxy outrage, while often well-intended, ultimately undermines free expression, exhausts communities, and distracts from meaningful progress. To break free from this cycle, we must respect individual agency, engage in dialogue, reclaim humor’s role, and develop critical thinking in online spaces. Humor has always been a force for unity, challenge, and reflection—it’s time we let it do what it does best. It has also been used to point out actual rather than invented flaws of people places and things. When such idiots start pushing their "proxy outrage," tear into them and block them and let them be subject to the ridicule they have evoked. After all, they started the fight so we need to take off the kid gloves and bare knuckle knock it back down into the shithole it spewed out from, along with those who continue to push it.