Forbidden Jokes

Not all political leaders hate being lampooned by cartoons. Some even proudly display them in their offices. But these tend to be democratic politicians, not authoritarian leaders whose power depends on a cult of personality.

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US President Donald Trump, a democratically elected leader with strong authoritarian leanings, can't stand to be ridiculed. It is said that his decision to run for president was the result of then-President Barack Obama making fun of him at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2011. There was nothing Trump could do about it back then. But now, as president himself, he can try to silence the mockers.

Last month, Disney's ABC Television network pulled late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel — a frequent critic of Trump - off the air, after pressure from the chair of the Federal Communications Commission. Trump applauded the move as “Great News for America.” This prompted so much protest, with 1.7 million people reportedly canceling their Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN subscriptions, that Kimmel was reinstated a week later. Still, Trump has threatened to revoke the broadcasting licenses of networks that feature comedians who make jokes about him.

Trump is not wrong to recognize the power of humor. The French philosopher Voltaire, one of the all-time great satirists, once said: “I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: ‘O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.’” Ridicule punctures hypocrisy, hyperbole, mendacity, and self-importance - the standard tricks of the authoritarian leader’s trade.

In the past, monarchs and powerful noblemen understood that mockery could be a necessary corrective to the flattery of courtiers. That was the role of court jesters, who were able to make fun of their bosses with impunity - up to a point. But that was because they could be treated as fools who posed no threat to power.