The Conversation: How social media forces stand-up comedians like Trevor Noah and Basket Mouth to self-censor. “As an art form based on abuse and amusement, comedy uses potentially offensive material. One would expect the audience to be either delighted or infuriated. But stand-up comedy creates a space where a kind of agreement is reached, which renders most offensive gags inoffensive. This happens through elements like audiences choosing to attend, the venue and shared socio-cultural knowledge. Stand-up comedy has its own norms about how jokes are made and received. The synergy between comedians and live audiences allows for a momentary suspension of offence. But when these jokes start to circulate in a separate space – like social media – they are subjected to other sets of appraisal and questioning.”