Ribaldry

2025-10-10T03:13:02Z

2001:818:E842:7300:F4A8:95A0:A332:D5C5:

{{Short description|Off-color humor}}
{{multiple issues|{{More citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Original research|date=December 2007}}}}
[[File:Urinal in the Bangkok airport.jpg|thumb|A [[urinal]] in [[Thailand]] with a ribald depiction]]
'''Ribaldry''', also known as '''blue comedy''' in performing arts, is a humorous genre of entertainment that ranges from bordering on [[Wiktionary:indelicacy|indelicacy]] to [[inappropriateness|indecency]], with the humorous elements based on ribaldry, amusingly coarse and morally incorrect or irreverent talk and behavior.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-11|title=Why is it called blue comedy anyways?|url=https://underthemoonlight.ca/2020/04/11/why-is-it-called-blue-comedy-anyways/|access-date=2020-10-16|website=Under The Moonlight|language=en}}</ref> Blue comedy is also referred to as "bawdiness" or being "bawdy". Like any humour, ribaldry may be read as conventional or [[subversive]]. Ribaldry typically depends on a shared background of sexual conventions and values, and its [[comedy]] generally depends on seeing those conventions broken.

The ritual [[taboo]]-breaking that is a usual counterpart of ribaldry underlies its controversial nature and explains why ribaldry is sometimes a subject of [[censorship]]. Ribaldry, whose usual aim is ''not'' "merely" to be sexually stimulating, often does address larger concerns than mere sexual appetite. However, being presented in the form of comedy, these larger concerns may be overlooked by censors.

Sex is presented in ribald material more for the purpose of poking fun at the foibles and weaknesses that manifest themselves in [[human sexuality]], rather than to present sexual stimulation either overtly or artistically. Also, ribaldry may use sex as a [[metaphor]] to illustrate some non-sexual concern, in which case ribaldry borders [[satire]].

Ribaldry differs from [[black comedy]] in that the latter deals with topics that would normally be considered ''painful'' or ''frightening'', whereas ribaldry deals with topics that would only be considered offensive.

==Examples==
[[File:Womens-love-vs-mens-love-joke.svg|thumb|A sexual joke about [[sexual attraction|attraction]], based on sexual [[stereotypes]]]]

Ribaldry is present to some degree in every culture and has likely been around for all of human history. Works like ''[[Lysistrata]]'' by [[Aristophanes]], ''[[Menaechmi]]'' by [[Plautus]], ''[[Satyricon|Cena Trimalchionis]]'' by [[Petronius]], and ''[[The Golden Ass]]'' of [[Apuleius]] are ribald classics from [[Classical Antiquity|ancient Greece and Rome]]. [[Geoffrey Chaucer]]'s "[[The Miller's Prologue and Tale|The Miller's Tale]]" from his ''[[Canterbury Tales]]'' and ''[[The Crabfish]]'', one of the oldest English traditional ballads, are classic examples. The Frenchman [[François Rabelais]] showed himself to be a master of ribaldry (technically called [[grotesque body]]) in his ''[[Gargantua]]'' and other works. ''[[The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman]]'' by [[Laurence Sterne]] and ''[[The Lady's Dressing Room]]'' by [[Jonathan Swift]] are also in this genre; as is [[Mark Twain]]'s long-suppressed ''[[1601 (Mark Twain)|1601]]''.

Another example of ribaldry is "[[De Brevitate Vitae]]", a song which in many [[Europe]]an-influenced universities is both a student beer-drinking song and an anthem sung by official university [[choir]]s at public graduation ceremonies. The private and public versions of the song contain vastly different words. More recent works like ''[[Candy (Southern and Hoffenberg novel)|Candy]]'', ''[[Barbarella (film)|Barbarella]]'', ''[[The Sensuous Nurse]]'', the comedic works of [[Russ Meyer]], ''[[Little Annie Fanny]]'' and [[John Barth]]'s ''[[The Sot-Weed Factor (1960 novel)|The Sot-Weed Factor]]'' are probably better classified as ribaldry than as either pornography or erotica.{{citation needed|date=June 2014}}

==Bawdy song==
A bawdy song is a humorous song that emphasises sexual themes and is often rich with [[innuendo]]. Historically these songs tend to be confined to groups of young males, either as students or in an environment where alcohol is flowing freely. An early collection was ''[[Wit and Mirth, or Pills to Purge Melancholy]]'', edited by Thomas D'Urfey and published between 1698 and 1720. Selected songs from ''Wit and Mirth'' have been recorded by the [[City Waites]] and other singers. Sailor's songs tend to be quite frank about the exploitative nature of the relationship between men and women. There are many examples of folk songs in which a man encounters a woman in the countryside. This is followed by a short conversation, and then sexual intercourse, e.g. "The Game of All Fours". Neither side demonstrates any shame or regret. If the woman becomes pregnant, the man will not be there anyway. [[Rugby football|Rugby]] songs are often bawdy. Examples of bawdy folk songs are: "[[Seventeen Come Sunday]]" and "[[The Ballad of Eskimo Nell]]". [[Robert Burns]] compiled ''The Merry Muses of Caledonia'' (the title is not Burns's), a collection of bawdy lyrics that were popular in the music halls of Scotland as late as the 20th century. In modern times [[Hash House Harriers]] have taken on the role of tradition-bearers for this kind of song. ''The Unexpurgated Folk Songs of Men'' (Arhoolie 4006) is a gramophone record containing a collection of American bawdy songs recorded in 1959.<ref>Sandberg, L. & Weissman, D. (1976) ''The Folk Music Sourcebook''. New York: Knopf; p. 134</ref>

==Blue comedy==
[[File:Dave Attell 2009.jpg|thumb|[[Dave Attell]] has been described as a blue comic by his peers.]]
Blue comedy is comedy that is [[off-colour]], [[wiktionary:risqué|risqué]], [[morality|indecent]], or [[profanity|profane]], largely about sex. It often contains [[profanity]] or sexual imagery that may shock and offend some audience members.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

"Working blue" refers to the act of using swear words and discussing things that people would not discuss in "polite society". A "blue comedian" or "blue comic" is a [[comedian]] who usually performs risqué routines layered with curse words.

There is a common belief that comedian [[Max Miller (comedian)|Max Miller]] (1894–1963) coined the phrase, after his stage act which involved telling jokes from either a white book or a blue book, chosen by audience preference (the blue book contained ribald jokes). This is not so, as the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' contains earlier references to the use of blue to mean ribald: 1890 ''Sporting Times'' 25 Jan. 1/1 "Shifter wondered whether the damsel knew any novel blue stories." and 1900 ''Bulletin'' (Sydney) 20 Oct. 12/4 "Let someone propose to celebrate [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]] by publicly reading some of his bluest productions unexpurgated. The reader would probably be locked up."

Private events at show business clubs such as the [[Masquers Club|Masquers]] often showed this blue side of otherwise clean-cut comedians; a recording survives of one Masquers roast from the 1950s with [[Jack Benny]], [[George Jessel (actor)|George Jessel]], [[George Burns]], and [[Art Linkletter]] all using highly risqué material and obscenities. Many comedians who are normally family-friendly might choose to work blue when off-camera or in an adult-oriented environment; [[Bob Saget]] exemplified this [[dichotomy]]. [[Bill Cosby]]'s 1969 record album ''[[8:15 12:15]]'' records both his family-friendly evening standup comedy show, and his blue midnight show, which included a joke about impregnating his wife "right through the old midnight trampoline" (her [[Diaphragm (birth control)|diaphragm]]) and other sexual references.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/r234485 |title=Bill Cosby: 8:15 12:15 - Bill Cosby | AllMusic |first=Sean |last=Carruthers |work=allmusic.com |year=2011 |access-date=29 April 2018}}</ref>

Some comedians build their careers on blue comedy. Among the best known of these are [[Redd Foxx]], [[Lawanda Page]], and the team of Leroy and Skillet, all of whom later performed on the family-friendly television show ''[[Sanford and Son]]''. Page, Leroy, and Skillet specialised in a particular [[African American]] form of blue spoken word recitation called [[Signifyin'|signifying or toasting]]. [[Dave Attell]] has also been described by his peers as one of the greatest modern-day blue comics.<ref>{{Citation|last=MMPC|title=Bill Burr - Christopher Cross / Go See Dave Attell|date=2016-03-04|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTih1ZnwVs8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/jTih1ZnwVs8| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|access-date=2018-04-23}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On [[talk radio]] in the United States and elsewhere, blue comedy is a staple of the [[shock jock]]'s repertoire. The use of blue comedy over American radio airwaves is severely restricted due to decency regulations; the [[Federal Communications Commission]] can levy fines against radio stations that air obscene content.

== Blue literature ==
As a part of English literature, blue literature dates back to at least [[Middle English]], while bawdy humor is a central element in works of such writers as [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] and [[Geoffrey Chaucer|Chaucer]]. Examples of blue literature are also present in various cultures, among different social classes, and genders.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Szwed|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5p0BAAAQBAJ|title=Crossovers: Essays on Race, Music, and American Culture|date=2006-10-19|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=978-0-8122-1972-2|pages=168|language=en}}</ref> Until the 1940s, writers of English-language blue literature were almost exclusively men; since then, it has become possible for women to build a commercial career on blue literature.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|170}} While no extensive cross-cultural study has been made in an attempt to prove the universality of blue literature, oral tradition around the world suggests that this may be the case.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|169}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Sex|Erotica and pornography|Society|Comedy}}
* [[Black comedy]]
* [[Clean comedy]]
* [[Dirty blues]]
* [[Drinking song]]
* [[Grotesque body]]
* [[Limerick (verse)]]
* [[Off-color humor]]
* [[Ruth Wallis]]
* [[Shock humour]]
* "[[The Ball of Kirriemuir]]"
* [[Toilet humor]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Cray, Ed. (1992) ''The Erotic Muse: American Bawdy Songs'', [[University of Illinois Press]], {{ISBN|9780252017810}}
*[[Gershon Legman|Legman, Gershon]], ed. (1992) ''Roll Me in Your Arms'' (bawdy songs and lore collected by Vance Randolph), University of Arkansas Press, {{ISBN|978-1557282316}}
*Legman, Gershon, ed. (1992) ''Blow the Candle Out'' (bawdy songs and lore collected by Vance Randolph), University of Arkansas Press, {{ISBN|978-1557282378}}
*Robert Burns (1982) ''The Merry Muses of Caledonia''; edited by James Barke & [[Sydney Goodsir Smith]]. Loanhead: Macdonald, {{ISBN|0-904265-71-4}}

==External links==
*{{wiktionary-inline|ribaldry}}

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[[Category:Comedy]]
[[Category:Sexuality and society]]
[[Category:Humour]]
[[Category:Entertainment]]
[[Category:Off-color humor]]
[[Category:Stand-up comedy]]

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Ribaldry