CAT 2022 Slot 3 · VARC · Question 4

CAT 2022 Slot 3 previous year question on Para Summary, with the answer and a step-by-step solution.

Para SummaryVerbal AbilityMultiple choiceMedium

The passage given below is followed by four alternate summaries. Choose the option that best captures the essence of the passage.

“It does seem to me that the job of comedy is to offend, or have the potential to offend, and it cannot be drained of that potential,” Rowan Atkinson said of cancel culture. “Every joke has a victim. That’s the definition of a joke. Someone or something or an idea is made to look ridiculous.” The Netflix star continued, “I think you’ve got to be very, very careful about saying what you’re allowed to make jokes about. You’ve always got to kick up? Really?” He added, “There are lots of extremely smug and self-satisfied people in what would be deemed lower down in society, who also deserve to be pulled up. In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.”

  1. A

    All jokes target someone and one should be able to joke about anyone in the society, which is inconsistent with cancel culture.

  2. B

    Every joke needs a victim and one needs to include people from lower down the society and not just the upper class.

  3. C

    Victims of jokes must not only be politicians and royalty, but also arrogant people from lower classes should be mentioned by comedians.

  4. D

    Cancel culture does not understand the role and duty of comedians, which is to deride and mock everyone.

Pick an option, then check.
Answer & solution

Answer: Option A

Atkinson, speaking of cancel culture, says comedy must be able to offend, 'Every joke has a victim', one must be careful about limiting what jokes are allowed, and 'In a proper free society, you should be allowed to make jokes about absolutely anything.'

Option 1 captures this: every joke targets someone, and one should be free to joke about anyone – which clashes with cancel culture.

Options 2 and 3 focus only on including people from 'lower down' in society, which is just one example.

Option 4 says the duty of comedians is to mock everyone – Atkinson says they should be allowed to, not that they must.

Shortcut: the essence is 'freedom to joke about anything'. The lower-class example only supports it.

Hence, the answer is option 1.

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