The comedian Sarah Silverman peppers her stand-up act and self-titled Comedy Central series with AIDS jokes. Her gags, which may seem to teeter on the edge of shock jockdom, give HIV/AIDS some major mainstream attention—when other, supposedly daring comics just won’t go there. But is Silverman cleverly lampooning stigma and clueless advocacy (in a faux public service announcement, she advises, “Get tested, be safe...and buy a T-shirt!”) or is she merely distasteful? Check out some of her more notorious jokes below, and decide for yourself. Let Comedy Central hear from you too: comedycentral.com
“ I have AIDS … billions of them.”
“AIDS is real. It doesn’t only exist in award-winning films and TV shows.”
“When God gives you AIDS—and God does give you AIDS by the way—make lemonAIDS.”
“If we can put a man on the moon, we can put a man with AIDS on the moon. And then someday we can put everyone with AIDS on the moon!”
“[To her dog] It’s wrong to judge people based on whether or not they have AIDS. I mean, you don’t have AIDS and I love you just as much as if you did. More, even.”
