8 Comedians Who Received Serious Death Threats For Their Jokes

The bravest comedians are those who aren't afraid to give unpopular opinions on controversial topics. Those few who are able to call themselves "comedy legends" didn't get to the top of Funny Mountain by playing it safe. They got there by working against the grain, by saying things no one else would say, and by saying them in a way that might ruffle some feathers. Not all comedians are confident enough to do this. The fear of a public backlash or, in some rare but terrifying instances, the possibility of being killed for these jokes is enough for many comedians to keep their more controversial thoughts tucked away in the back of a notepad. Because, especially in this time of political correctness and Internet anonymity, death threats get thrown around as often as "yo mama" jokes circa 1998. Now, if you're offended by something, you don't have to simply swear at your TV screen or mumble to your friends in the audience of an open mic night about how you'd like to them to die. You can post that sentiment on their Twitter page and get hundreds of people to rally around you! Some death threats are obviously more serious than others, but, because it's gotten harder for famous people to hide their private information, none of them can be taken lightly. So we salute those who, in the face of public scrutiny and potential physical harm, say what's on their minds and stick to their guns.