Where does joking stop and offense begin?

Where does joking stop and offense begin?

During the long flight back from Cannes, I had plenty of time to mull over the festival. I pondered the movies I'd liked best?The Artist,The Tree of Life, We Have to Talk about Kevin, The Kid with a Bike. They are easily the best movies I've seen this year.

I also thought about the spectacle and the unexpected moments that had caused a stir.

I wondered why Brad Pitt can quip, obviously in jest, about beating his kids and everyone laughs, and director Lars von Trier jokes bout being a Hitler sympathizer and is banned from Cannes. Was it all in the delivery?

Don't get me wrong: I'm in no way defending von Trier, nor accusing Pitt. I'm speaking of how joking remarks are received differently. Of course, content is key, but delivery, context and the person making them is just as essential.

We live in a contradictory time. Our culture is ultra-sensitive, politically correct and quick to judge and condemn. At the same time our commentary ? especially online and in tweets ? is snarkier, more laced with humorous asides and our movies and television shows are filled with bawdy comedy.

I was heartened that Pitt's comment was received in the spirit it was made, and didn't show up, out of context, on some website later or cheesy tabloid. I was glad to see that in these en masse interviews that mask as journalism, an actor has the relaxed confidence to respond humorously to an inane question posed seriously. Pitt was asked how his parenting style compared to that of the overbearing character he played in Tree of Life. His joke made reference to the actions of the abusive character he portrayed.

Von Trier has a much more offputting style. Where Pitt is a handsome superstar, von Trier is a dour filmmaker given to stream-of-consciousness rants. Pitt is known for his charming laid-back style, von Trier is known as a charmless provocateur. They couldn't be more different in their style and delivery.

So style, delivery, context and perception are the keys here. Probably few believe von Trier truly sympathizes with Adolf Hitler?based on his movies, he's far too iconoclastic to sympathize with any leader. In that same press conference, von Trier also joked tastelessly about making a 4-hour porno with Melancholia stars Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg, as they sat quietly cringing beside him.

Clearly, some topics should stay out of the joking realm. It's never a good idea to invoke the name of a madman who committed genocide in any light-hearted context before a worldwide audience of reporters. That would seem obvious.

Perhaps von Trier could consult another Cannes attendee associated with anti-Semitic remarks and learn from his mistakes. Mel Gibson came out of a self-imposed seclusion for the festival, to promote his new movie, The Beaver. Gibson walked jauntily down the red carpet but managed to fly under the radar during this media circus. Wonder what Gibson would make of the von Trier brouhaha? Could he offer his take on where joking stops and offense begins?

See photos of: Brad Pitt, Mel Gibson, Kirsten Dunst

Source: http://rssfeeds.usatoday.com/~r/usatoday-LifeTopStories/~3/LrmjAr11mSA/1

Sunny Mabrey Maggie Gyllenhaal Sofía Vergara Paulina Rubio Nicollette Sheridan