Behind every joke there's an underlying meaning and a hidden truth. In the United States specifically, it can be argued that ethnic jokes are a popular type of joke. There are certain principles and rules that must be followed in order for a joke to be comical and not outright offensive.
Comedians like Chris Rock and Trevor Noah, who are African American tend to joke a lot about their own ethnic group. It can be seen that there are apparent social norms that are followed when ethnic jokes are made; there are certain rules and understandings of how and who can tell them, and when it is appropriate. Rock and Noah reinforce the general rule that it is okay to joke about a certain group if you are considered to be a part of that group; however, this rule becomes hazier when it comes to joking about groups that aren't your own. When joking about another group, it is only okay when the group is assumed to be of equal social status or higher than their own. This can be seen when Rock and Noah reference Latin Americans in their stand-ups and lower socioeconomic status whites.
Along with that, they reinforce the concept that ethnic jokes function to highlight certain anxieties in which groups face; their use of exaggeration functions to generate comic relief about these anxieties, and in turn make the group feel better about these anxieties.
There are some similarities in how Rock and Noah joke, they both highlight different types of stereotypes that are placed on Black Americans, such as the way they speak. The social function of this is to bring light to the anxiety about how society views African Americans negatively based on how they speak and present themselves. Society associates the use of slang and derogatory language with the individual being uneducated and of low socioeconomic class.
The two videos below are: Rocks stands up show Black People vs. "Niggaz" and Noah's on Black Americans. Look to see if you notice some of their jokes social functions.
