On the day of Kobe Bryant’s death, the comic Ari Shaffir wrote this on Twitter: “Kobe Bryant died 23 years too late today. He got away with rape because all the Hollywood liberals who attack comedy enjoy rooting for the Lakers more than they dislike rape. Big ups to the hero who forgot to gas up his chopper. I hate the Lakers. What a great day!”

It did not go over well. Shaffir’s talent agency reportedly dropped him. So did a comedy club. There were death threats. Comics who normally roll their eyes at those offended by jokes criticized him. In an explanation on Instagram, Shaffir said trashing celebrities right after they died was a running bit, one just for his fans who like inappropriate humor. “I’m niche,” he said.

And yet, there is nothing niche about the reach of Twitter and Instagram. Shaffir is no superstar, but he’s a veteran club comic with a Netflix special and one of the most frequent guests on “The Joe Rogan Experience,” arguably the most popular podcast in the world. Shaffir’s fans do expect this kind of thing from him. But the shocking death of Bryant hit a bigger cultural nerve, revealing how dark humor has expanded and evolved in the era of social media.