There are those who understandably believe that “punching up” refers to how one ought to go through a life teasing others. Well, it’s not only that. Punching up is a term used to denote how one physically collides with the world through mockery, derision, and condescension.
Put it this way, there’s nothing wrong with making fun of the Empire State Building and its domineering spire, casting a shadow over midtown Manhattan. This is why you can’t make fun of the subway, despite its many foibles. Because it is literally beneath you to do so. You should approach the world from sea level and not the rare subterranean sojourn. That said, the few elevated trains left are fair game for jokes, which makes Chicago's transit system ripe for ridicule.
However, sneering at the curb or the sewers is a no go. It’s why the only place appropriate for making fun of the ocean is underwater. Mountains, skyscrapers and trees are obnoxious outgrowths of an overgrown society. But jellyfish, coral reefs, and seaweed? I don’t think so. They deserve our respect, not our barbs.
Some think “punching up” is purely a figure of speech. Not in this case. What’s wrong with burying your fist into the terra cotta of a gaudy pre-war structure? Nothing. How hauling off and jabbing a notorious redwood? Remember: Belittling others is fine as thing as you’re being little.
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