The Viña del Mar 2025 Festival left an indelible mark on the career of Venezuelan comedian George Harris, but not for the reasons he would have expected. His performance, which promised to be a celebration of humor and satire, was abruptly interrupted by an audience divided between laughter and rejection. This episode brings to the table a debate that has gained momentum in recent years: hypersensitivity and humor.

George Harris is not just any humorist. His trajectory has made him an influential voice among Venezuelans in exile and in the Latin community in general. His comedy relies on political satire and analysis of the socio-cultural realities of Latin America, with a particular emphasis on the consequences of socialism. He has been an outspoken critic of leftist governments and has shared opinions that, although supported by part of his audience, have generated controversy in other latitudes. As when he reposted a tweet by Emmanuel Rincón in which he quoted the current president of Argentina, Javier Milei. The Argentinean said: "Socialism was a failure economically, it was a failure socially, culturally, and also that disgusting system that killed 150 million people.... Socialism is based on filthy values, on envy, on hate...".

Her participation in Viña del Mar was marked by tension even before she took the stage. Previous comments on her social networks, in which she criticized Salvador Allende and the Chilean left, made her presentation to be viewed with suspicion by part of the audience. But all this had appeared more than a year ago and in the middle of her presentations.

However, a part of the audience made it clear from the beginning that not everyone was willing to listen to his humorous proposal.

Sense or offense of humor

Harris' case is not isolated. In the last decade, several comedians have faced the dilemma of how far one can go with humor without arousing the ire of certain sectors of society. Ricky Gervais, Dave Chappelle and even Chris Rock have been subject to cancellations or boycotts for addressing controversial topics without filters. But, as Gervais rightly points out on his shows, "People confuse the subject of the joke with the punch line, and they're rarely the same thing."

In Latin America, where political history continues to weigh on the identity of many countries, humor becomes a minefield. Political satire has always existed, but in times of social media and extreme sensitivities, any comment can become a reputation crisis. Harris experienced this firsthand in Viña del Mar, where his comedy was cut short before he could conclude his presentation.

What happened to Harris reflects a disturbing trend: the inability of many societies to handle the ambiguity of humor. A joke, by definition, is not a political statement, but in times of polarization, anything can be interpreted as an attack. Laughter, which has historically been a tool of resistance and reflection, is becoming a reason for social censure.

Besides, Harris can think what he wants about how countries should be run. That's a different issue. And to assert his position he can use social media and then go vote for the candidate of his choice. Probably, if you voted in the last election, you will have voted for Trump. That is the game of democracy.

The cancellation of comedians at festivals, events and streaming platforms suggests that we are facing a broader trend. Hypersensitivity and cancellation culture can lead to societies where fear of public backlash limits creativity and freedom of expression.

Far from seeing the Viña del Mar episode as a failure, this should be a starting point for a broader discussion. Should we let our emotions determine what can or cannot be said on stage? Is it fair to judge a comedian by his or her personal opinions instead of evaluating his or her humorous ability?

Humor, when exercised with intelligence, allows us to explore uncomfortable realities without the need to become confrontational. But this is only possible if the audience is willing to accept that comedy is not a space for dogmas, but for irony, satire and reflection.

Ricky Gervais is clear that you can make humor about most issues of existence: "I think you can make fun of anything except the things that people can't avoid. They can't help their race, their sex or their age, so you ridicule their pretentiousness or their ego."

George Harris is not the first comedian to face backlash for his jokes, and he probably won't be the last. However, his case reminds us of the importance of maintaining a critical spirit without losing the ability to laugh at ourselves. If we allow extreme sensitivity to define the limits of humor, we risk losing one of the most powerful tools we have to understand the world.

Excessive political correctness can also be a sign of bad times; times without a sense of humor but with an undue sense of offense.