Summary Of Status Anxiety By Alain De Botton

The general argument made by author Alain de Botton in her book, Status anxiety, is that comedians are able to talk about controversial or offending messages, but get away with it because they are humorist. More specifically, Botton argues that humorists serve a vital function in society because they can say things that others cannot or will not say. She writes “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” In this passage, Botton is suggesting that we need humorists to say the offensive things in a humorous way so it is acceptable. In conclusions, Botton’s belief is that we need comedians to say the things that aren’t okay to be said by others. In my view, Botton is right, because that is true.