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Jemima Steinfeld

CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Index on Censorship; author of "Little Emperors and Material Girls: Sex and Youth in Modern China"

Oct 2, 2026

39:40
Just explain what you mean by punching down.
39:41
Punching down is when you are basically someone from a minority who's punching, um, from a majority who's punching down to a minority.
39:50
So, um, someone who has a little bit, who has more power, um, having a go for the sake of the butt of a joke at someone who has less power.
39:58
Um, so I, I think that still does, to be honest, exist, but I think that there is a lot more fear about being called a bigot or causing offense.
40:09
And, uh, comedy historically has, um, you know, sailed close to the wind, and that is what can make it really push boundaries and can make us as a society look inwards and really question who we are and what we want to be.
40:24
And I think it's a shame when they get worried about offense, which is very different from, you know, incitement and hate speech, which should be the bars for when you start saying, "Well, okay." Um, that is something where you might draw a line.
40:39
Obviously the-
41:08
I just think that's always been there

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