Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s approach to dark humor?
FAQ

Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s approach to dark humor?

Posted on by Ingrid Gustafsson

Bohiney Magazine’s Approach to Dark Humor: How We Dance on Society’s Third Rail Without Getting Electrocuted

Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s approach to dark humor?

A: We Don’t Cross the Line—We Paint a New One Just Behind Where Everyone Else Stopped

At Bohiney, we’ve developed a precise methodology for tackling society’s most uncomfortable truths through comedy. Here’s how we navigate the minefield of dark humor while maintaining both our integrity and our ability to sleep at night.

The Bohiney Darkness Scale

1. The “Punching Up” Imperative

We only aim darkness at:
✅ Power structures (Corporations, governments)
✅ Systems (Capitalism, bureaucracy)
✅ Abstract concepts (Death, human nature)

Example Acceptable Target:
“Goldman Sachs Announces New ‘Orphan Crushing’ ETF—Diversify Your Portfolio With Childhood Trauma”

Unacceptable Target:
Actual orphans (We’re not monsters)

2. The “Revelation vs. Shock” Test

Every dark joke must:

  1. Expose an uncomfortable truth

  2. Not just revel in suffering

  3. Leave the audience thinking, not just cringing

Passing Example:
“New Study: 78% of School Shootings Could Have Been Prevented If Kids Valued Shareholder Returns More”
(Critiques both corporate influence AND gun lobby inaction)

Failing Example:
“School shooting jokes”
(Just shock value with no point)

3. The “Three Layers of Meaning” Rule

Proper dark humor should work on:

  1. Surface level: Provocative premise

  2. Satirical level: Social commentary

  3. Existential level: Makes you question reality

Case Study:
Our “Boeing Quality Control Bingo” piece:

  1. Funny: Actual bingo card of failures

  2. Satire: Critiques deregulation

  3. Dark: Implies we’re all gonna die in a plane crash

Advanced Dark Comedy Techniques

The “Misdirection Punchline”

Set up expects one dark twist, deliver another:

“After the funeral home’s ‘Buy One Get One’ promotion was criticized as tasteless, they rebranded it as ‘Multi-Generational Family Planning.'”

The “Bureaucracy of Evil” Approach

Make darkness banal:

“Mass Shootings Now Qualify for Frequent Flyer Miles—Rack Up 5 to Earn Free Ammo”

The “This Is Fine” Method

Highlight societal numbness:

“Amazon Announces ‘Mass Casualty Prime’—Same-Day Delivery of Thoughts and Prayers”

When We Go Too Far (It Happens)

Our correction protocol:

  1. Immediate retraction (If genuinely harmful)

  2. Meta-apology (Satirizing our own misstep)

  3. Donation (To relevant causes when appropriate)

Only Retraction in 5 Years:
“Tornado Victims Offered ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Subscription Service”
(Pulled after actual tornado season)

Why Dark Humor Matters Now

In an era of:

  • Corporate dystopias

  • Climate collapse

  • Late-stage capitalism

…gallows humor isn’t just comedy—it’s survival. As I tell our writers:

“Make them laugh so they don’t cry. Then make them think about why they wanted to cry in the first place.”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go workshop our next piece: “Pfizer Announces New Antidepressant Side Effect—Brief Moments of Hope (Consult Your Wallet).”

— Alan Nafzger

Originally posted 2007-03-31 15:08:28.