No one wants to be the unfunny friend. The friend that’s “too woke.” The person who calls out political incorrectness and offensive language. Well, guess what? Today, being “too woke” is a dying breed.Â
That’s not to say humor can’t be subjective. The bigger issue is how deep the hateful and problematic rhetoric runs in our modern society. I’m not here to police your sense of humor. Instead, you should understand the significance of political jokes on our society as a whole.
According to a Nottingham Trent University research report, Memetic warfare is “a modern form of information and psychological warfare that involves the propagation of internet memes on social media.” But what does that actually mean?
In the United States, 66% of adults happen across opinions and humor about news in their day-to-day lives, according to a 2026 Pew Research study.
To put that in perspective, that is two-thirds of adults in the U.S. They don’t seek out funny things; they stumble across them, which isn’t necessarily a negative thing. Humor is an excellent way to spread messages. Whether or not we should be concerned depends on the message.
Globally, peace has declined for the 12th consecutive year, reaching the highest number of active conflicts since World War II, according to the 2026 Global Peace Index.
In the U.S., the FBI reported over ten thousand hate crimes for the 2025 calendar year. 55.6% of them were motivated by racial bias.
When terrible events occur, what keeps us going?
In light of current world events, people turn to other means to self-regulate. Humor is a popular coping mechanism because, according to NIH research, it reduces “the burden of perceived stress and increases positive emotional states when dealing with stressful situations.”
And sure, why not? Sometimes it helps to lighten the mood with a little self-deprecating humor, a little joke about the current situation we find ourselves in. Key word: ourselves.Â
When the issue is widespread and prevalent, it applies to us. We have a personal connection to the issue. Take COVID-19, for example. Everyone in the world was affected. Memes and internet jokes helped people connect and rely on shared experiences.
We cross the line when the news has nothing to do with us. I’m not experiencing the atrocities that the people of Gaza are. I did not have my childhood ripped from me like the Epstein survivors did.
It stands to reason that we should approach these topics with care, and with serious, genuine conversation. When we joke about them, we devalue the experiences and the tragedies so many people have faced. Joking about atrocities gives power back to the oppressors.Â
This is only the most recent step for modern propaganda. This phenomenon can be found as far back as 1622. The concept came into more common use during World War II, when this “manipulation of social suggestion” led to serious consequences in terms of cultural and racial hatred, especially for the Japanese, according to a University of Missouri article.
Memetic warfare — found in TikTok trends, government posts, and interactions — minimizes modern issues. For instance, when U.S. government organizations and political parties post meme videos, like the @democrats page on TikTok posting edits of RFK Jr. to present information about yet another FDA recall, is it helpful? Or does it just serve to diminish the news with low-level humor? As a society, we cannot move forward without recognizing our present, no matter how hard it is to think about.
So, next time you hear a joke, see a meme, or interact with anything that has to do with current events, spend a little time with it. Ask yourself: Is this funny? Why might it be funny? What does that mean?
Most importantly, think: how does this impact the world around me?
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