Racist jokes provide psychological gratification by reaffirming beliefs in racial superiority

Professor Djamila Ribeiro invited Professor Adilson Moreira, who holds a PhD in Anti-Discrimination Law from Harvard University, teaches at FGV (Fundação Getulio Vargas), and is the author of Racismo Recreativo (Recreational Racism), to write in her Folha de S.Paulo column about the sentencing of a so-called comedian to prison for racism and other hate speech crimes.

Leo Lins*, Recreational Racism, and the Defense of White Interests

It comes as no surprise the virulent reaction to the court ruling sentencing Leo Lins to prison for engaging in recreational racism. Such rulings are extremely rare, but even so, they are enough to spark outrage among many, especially those who are accustomed to the leniency of the Brazilian judiciary. These individuals expect judges to confirm the narrative that they weren’t being racist when, in fact, they were engaging in racism. This contradiction deserves our attention.

Why should a comedian who tells racist jokes face criminal conviction? Well, hostile humor has historically been strategically used to legitimize the interests of majority groups. For example, jokes about the supposed lack of virility among Asian men emerged as a way to justify military actions against the Chinese; the stereotype of Black people as lazy took shape during the colonial period to stigmatize enslaved individuals who resisted racial oppression.

Some argue that humor exists in a state of cognitive and moral neutrality. This position is mistaken. Humor is a form of communication that provokes laughter precisely because it reflects societal consensus on who people are and what they are allowed to do. It normalizes institutional practices by reinforcing what are believed to be the inherent characteristics and social roles of certain groups.

Some scholars argue that hostile humor is rooted in the feeling of superiority held by members of dominant groups over others, turning minorities into constant targets of dehumanizing discourse. Freud taught that jokes are also an expression of hostility, even though they are often labeled as mere cultural manifestations.

White people laugh at racist jokes because they agree with their content, because these jokes mirror their perceptions of Black people. Racial stereotypes shape human behavior in multiple situations as they express deeply ingrained representations of “the other.” What makes people laugh also motivates discrimination. Racist jokes serve as vehicles for spreading stereotypes that later become the rationale for discriminatory actions. They offer psychological gratification by reaffirming the conviction of racial superiority: I declare the other inferior only when I am certain I am superior.

Many classify rulings that convict white individuals for recreational racism as violations of their rights. Unsurprisingly, those who advocate this argument deliberately ignore the fact that human dignity is the foundational principle of our legal system, protected by a range of laws—including criminal statutes. But are these critics genuinely concerned with this foundational value, or are they actually defending another kind of collective interest?

Comedians earn substantial income from the commercial exploitation of racist humor. They know that racial contempt underpins public morality, so they create social media channels where they spread discriminatory messages, instantly boosting their popularity. They start booking live shows with increasingly high fees, often becoming wealthy.

Sponsors, business owners, agents, employees, and family members also profit from racist humor. Thus, a criminal conviction for recreational racism represents a loss of livelihood for many people.

An important point: Leo Lins is not an artist. He does not use personal skills as a vehicle for aesthetic expression, nor does he seek to produce aesthetic effects from them. His jokes do not expand or deepen the contemplative capacity of his audience. As he himself acknowledges in one of his posts, he is a communicator who uses controversial topics to make people laugh.

It’s curious that many people publicly compare rulings against white individuals for racism to what happened under the Nazi regime. This is a rhetorical strategy aimed at portraying Leo Lins as a victim. These people likely ignore the central role racist humor played in justifying the attempted extermination of European Jews. The survival of the white supremacy system that still operates among us depends on the systematic dehumanization of Black people. That’s why many resist laws that criminalize racism and oppose court decisions enforcing these laws—they go against their interests.

It is extremely difficult for them to understand that the dignity of Black people is non-negotiable and that freedom of expression does not protect hate speech.

Adilson Moreira, who holds a PhD in Comparative Constitutional Law from Harvard University and is widely regarded as Brazil’s leading authority on Anti-Discrimination Law, is the author of several books, including O que é racismo recreativo (What is Recreational Racism?), published as part of the Feminismos Plurais series, coordinated by Professor Djamila Ribeiro.

**Leo Lins, a Brazilian comedian known for making offensive jokes targeting Black people, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and other minoritized communities, was sentenced in June 2025 to 8 years and 6 months in prison for racism and hate speech. The conviction, based on Brazil’s Anti-Racism Law and the Brazilian Inclusion Law, reflects the country’s recent legal shift towards punishing “recreational racism”—a term for racist jokes presented as humor. Despite the ruling, Lins remains free pending appeal, and the case has reignited national debates on the limits of humor, hate speech, and freedom of expression in Brazil.