High Time In the US
John Mulaney And How Legalizing Marijuana is Changing American Dynamics
“And that’s a big deal because they scared us about weed constantly. It would be on our sitcoms. We’d be watching Saved By the Bell, we’d be having a great old time. And then, suddenly, a character we had not seen before would show up with some weed and the episode would stop cold in its tracks.”
Saved By the Bell was an American sitcom, that aired from 1989 to 1993, that focused on a group of students throughout their journey through high school. The show frequently highlighted topics such as drug use. In one episode the tag line “there’s no hope with dope” was presented with a series of anti-marijuana public service announcements.
Marijuana has been around since 500 BC when it was used as an medicinial herb in Asia. The now controversial drug has spread through Africa, Europe and the Americas. Marijuana has now become a political issue that has divided American citizens. John Mulaney, who was previously a writer on Saturday Night Live, has never been one to stray away from political commentary and uses the issue of the legalization of marijuana to enhance his standup special The Comeback Kid.
More than one million American citizens are arrested every year for drug possession. The “War on Drugs” in the United States began in 1971, when President Nixon first coined the term, leading to a 47-year, and counting, fight to prohibit and decrease the use of drugs, such as marijuana. This battle costs the US billions of dollars every year and has contributed to the staggering statistic that America holds 25 percent of the world’s prison population. Half of all incarcerated individuals in the United States have been arrested for drug related crimes.
The shift towards the legilization of marijuana began with California in 1996 and has begun to sweep states across the nation, despite the current federal law prohibiting possession and usage of marijuana for any use. This new change that is beginning to be more prevalent in the United States has continued to change the dynamics of the country in both legal and social ways as well as relational ways. Some individuals are pleased with the movement, while others may suffer, which Mulaney highlights.
“And now it’s legal, and that is great news. Unless you’re a weed dealer.”
Mulaney recognizes this shift as he discusses in the beginning of his joke about the strangeness of going on his comedy tour as marijuana is becoming decriminalized throughout the United States, along with the fact that the issue has become one that the state governments have seemed to stop outright fighting.
“And, by the way, I agree, it’s a very good thing. But it’s also a really weird thing, because this is the first time I’ve ever seen a law change because the government is just like, ‘Fine.’”
“And I’ve been on tour this year… Marijuana is legal in 18 or 19 states in some form or another. It’s insane. Yeah, and well…”
Mulaney, who was born in Chicago, opens up his bit about marijuana with a personal anecdote in which he experienced firsthand the “War on Drugs”. His story goes, “When I was arrested with a one-hitter at a Rusted Root concert, I did not serve hard time. I think I got an award.”
John Mulaney’s insight may seem like a wonderfully timed joke, however the reality of his experience with the law is in fact representative of the racial bias surrounding the “War on Drugs” in America. A study completed by the ACLU found that African Americans are four times more likely to be arrested due to possession or use of marijuana than whites, despite the fact that whites and blacks use the drug with similar frequency. This disparity of black and white drug related arrests is particularly staggering in highly populated urban areas such as Chicago, where Mulaney grew up, Washington D.C. and New York, both places where Mulaney has lived.
“All right, dont ‘whoo’ if you’re white. It’s always been legal for us. Come on, sir. We don’t go to jail for marijuana, you silly billy.”
The mass incarceration that has stemmed from the “War on Drugs” has put a strain on criminal justice resources in the United States. Extensive amounts of federal funding have been used for drug enforcement, which often overextends tax dollars, leaving a decreased amount of funding for other issues facing the country such as education. Furthermore, incarceration rates have risen substantially since the beginning of the “War on Drugs” and individuals are often left in jail for long sentences due to mandatory minimums. This drug war has used and continues to use valuable resources to hunt down inviduals who are in possession of very small amounts of marijuana, particularly those who are of color.
Using the superiority theory of comedy along with self deprecating humor, Mulaney calls attention to the various dynamics that influence the fight for and against marijuana. The audience immediately finds the joke hilarious, yet the joke also invokes a sense of curiosity at the very truth behind the joke. Mulaney expertly plays on the audiences response to the mention of marijuana when he says, “All right, don’t ‘whoo’ if you’re white.” The line comes out of nowhere and was likely used simply as a response to the reaction of the audience, which adds a unique sense of humor.
Mulaney continues to develop the joke as he uses the humor of the racial bias in policing marijuana through a personal anecdote that emphasizes the punchline of the joke. Additionally, Mulaney grabs the attention of the white audience members who cheered for the line “marijuana is legal in 18 or 19 states”, by calling out the individuals failure to identify a difference in experience due to their race.
When considering the response of the audience, it is important to consider the factors that contribute to whether or not a group of individuals find a joke funny. It tends to appear that the majority of comedy leans to the more liberal side, however the audience can vary from show to show. This particular joke regarding marijuana was told to an audience in Chicago, where the punishment that is given to a person found to be in possession of marijuana was reduced in 2016. In addition, a study done by the Chicago Tribune found that 74 percent of Illinois voters support the decriminalization of marijuana. If this particular joke had been presented to an audience in a location where the majority of the population did not support the legalization of marijuana, the joke may not have been perceived as funny and may have seemed offensive to some.
John Mulaney expertly expresses the sentiments of the American people surronding the shifts in dynamics within the country regarding marijuana. The excitment of those who support legalization, along with the fears of those who will be harmed from the change, is accurately displayed throughout various points throughout the joke. Just as there is a complex dynamic within Mulaney’s joke regarding marijuana, there are complicated changes occuring as additional states begin to change their drug laws.
Sources:
Edwards, Ezekiel, et al. The War on Marijuana in Black and White. ACLU, 2013, The War on Marijuana in Black and White.