Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s stance on satire in poor taste?
FAQ

Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s stance on satire in poor taste?

Posted on by Ingrid Gustafsson

Bohiney Magazine’s Stance on Satire in Poor Taste: Walking the Tightrope Without Becoming the Circus

Q: What’s Bohiney Magazine’s stance on satire in poor taste?

A: We Don’t Cross Lines—We Highlight How Arbitrary They Are

At Bohiney, we’ve developed a nuanced approach to controversial humor that allows us to tackle society’s third rails while maintaining our soul (and legal team). Here’s our exact methodology for determining when satire becomes “too much.”

The Bohiney Taste Calculus

1. The “Power Differential” Rule

We evaluate based on who’s being mocked:

Target Allowable Mockery Level
The Powerful (CEOs, politicians) Nuclear option enabled
Institutions (Media, corporations) Surgical strikes only
Marginalized Groups Off-limits (except when punching up at their oppressors)

Example:
✅ “Goldman Sachs Introduces ‘Orphan Crushing Machine’ ETF”
❌ “Look at these poor orphans”

2. The “Revelation vs. Shock” Test

Every edgy joke must:

  1. Expose a truth (Not just provoke)

  2. Have a clear target (Not collateral damage)

  3. Make people think (Not just react)

Passing Example:
“TikTok’s New ‘School Shooting Challenge’—Finally, an Active Shooter Drill Kids Will Actually Do”
(Critiques both gun culture AND performative safety measures)

Failing Example:
“Dead baby jokes”
(No social value, just shock)

3. The “Would the Target Laugh?” Principle

We ask:

  • Would a thoughtful member of the affected group find insight in this?

  • Are we punching at power structures or victims?

  • Does the humor come from truth or cruelty?

Case Study:
Our “Thoughts and Prayers Subscription Service” piece resonated with actual shooting survivors because it mocked inaction, not trauma.

When We’ve Gone Too Far (It Happens)

The 3-Step Correction Protocol:

  1. Immediate retraction (If genuinely harmful)

  2. Transparent explanation (What we missed)

  3. Donation (To relevant causes when appropriate)

Only Retraction in 5 Years:
“Tornado Victims Offered Discount on ‘Thoughts and Prayers'”
(Pulled after real disasters)

The Forbidden Topics List

Even we won’t touch:

  • Recent tragedies (We wait 6 months minimum)

  • Personal suffering (No mocking individual victims)

  • Certain historical wounds (Know your audience)

Exception: When the powerful exploit these topics first (cough politicians using dead kids as props cough)

Why This Approach Matters Now

In an era where:

  • Offense is commodified

  • Bad-faith actors weaponize outrage

  • Real harm gets ignored while jokes get condemned

…we believe sharp satire must:

  1. Challenge comfortable lies

  2. Never punch downward

  3. Make the right people uncomfortable

As I tell our writers:

“If nobody hates a piece, it’s toothless. If only the vulnerable hate it, you’ve failed.”

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go workshop our next dangerous idea: “NRA Launches ‘Back to School’ Collection—Bulletproof Backpacks Now With More Pocket Space!”

— Alan Nafzger

Originally posted 2014-12-25 08:50:15.