Paragraph Summary: Rowan Atkinson on Comedy

CAT 2022 Slot 3 · VARC · Medium · Verbal Ability

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The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

"It does seem to me that the job of comedy is to offend, or have the potential to offend, and it cannot be drained of that potential," Rowan Atkinson said of cancel culture. "Every joke has a victim. That's the definition of a joke. Someone or something or an idea is made to look ridiculous." The Netflix star continued, "I think you've got to be very, very careful about saying what you're allowed to make jokes about. You've always got to kick up? Really?" He added, "There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything."

  1. A.

    All jokes target someone and one should be able to joke about anyone in the society, which is inconsistent with cancel culture.

  2. B.

    Victims of jokes must not only be politicians and royalty, but also arrogant people from lower classes should be mentioned by comedians.

  3. C.

    Every joke needs a victim and one needs to include people from lower down the society and not just the upper class.

  4. D.

    Cancel culture does not understand the role and duty of comedians, which is to deride and mock everyone.

Answer

A

Explanation

Option A summarizes the core argument: comedy inherently targets someone/something, and in a free society, everyone is fair game for humor, opposing the restrictions imposed by cancel culture.

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