World News: Your weekend must reads 📰

Saturday, August 6

👋 Hi there, friends of The Short List! I'm Nicole Fallert, and it's my pleasure to share with you some of the best reads of the week from the USA TODAY newsroom.

😂 From TikTok stars to up-close comedian specials, what does the future of comedy look like? There's no doubt the world is changing – and thus comedy is evolving too. But is the future bright for the genre, or is it being diluted amid "cancel culture" and a more conscious society? USA TODAY explores this question in a new series about what's next for the industry.

What's making us laugh – or not:

•	The importance of punching up: There's a fierce dispute among comedians over who should be the subject of a joke: Those with less power or those in positions of power.
•	Do stereotypes have a place in comedy? Stereotypes have long been embedded into American comedy and the jokes, more often than not, are aimed at marginalized communities. And a once tried-and-true method of unifying people has now divided audiences across generations.
•	A new wave of authentic comedy: Meet the comedians earning laughs on TikTok — and refueling the industry with sincere humanity.

Comedians are flocking to TikTok and changing the comedy industry. Pictured here from top left are Leo González, Ben Brainard, Elyse Myers, Robyn Schall, Jacon Milan and Misha.

Photos provided to USA TODAY

Here are more must-reads below 👇 See you next week!