Throughline
Throughline
NPR
The license to be funny in America
20 minutes Posted Jul 28, 2026 at 7:05 am.
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One of the most fundamental aspects of American democracy has been the public’s ability to critique power, whether that’s through protest, legislation, or a really funny joke. Today, we take a romp into the history of American comedy, showing no matter how crude, rude, or distasteful the humor may be, Americans have a constitutional right to stand up.
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