Make fun of stuff that's so clearly wrong, the audience has no reason to think you think your jokes aren't 'wrong'. Examples: Murder, necrophilia, bestiality, arson. Looking at the kind of genre you have, I believe most of your jokes fall under this.
Try to avoid jokes about gender, sexuality, races, religion, stuff that's still real-life issues. You can get away with making fun of white people (Not sure where "jokes about Americans" sit). Should you wish to tell the type of jokes I told you to try avoiding, display awareness of the fact that what you're joking about is 'wrong'. Perhaps the joke-teller gets comeuppance (where's that trope where an woman beats up a man who ogled her?), or at least told off.
Or, just make all the jokes you like. After all, anyone who gets offended is not part of your target audience, according to another troper on another thread.
As the other troper on the other thread, I feel the need to quote myself and point out the "punch upwards" principle. :P
But yes, even if you follow that principle there will be people who won't like the fact that you're even joking about some topics. Those people aren't part of your target audience if you're writing a Dark Comedy.
The Exia is my waifu
Honestly, I'm less concerned about people getting offended and it simply being in bad taste, like the quips that Dark Syde Phil makes on tragic scenes (see this So Bad, It's Horrible page for examples
. It just makes the MC even more of an unlikable asshat, y'know.
edited 15th Jan '16 11:28:02 AM by handlere
Seen in the profile picture: the Gundam Flauros Rebake Full City, piloted by McGillis Itsuka, captain of the Turbines
Judging you
Suffering.
If you can detach the viewer from the victim's suffering, it can be anything from funny to entertaining.
You won't laugh if the victim is seen in utter, deep and heartwrenhing misery, but if they die left and right absurdly and even without noticing, whatever you do is comedy gold because hilarity is a way of counterbalance the realisation of the fragility of life.
We can stand death and laugh at the inherently absurd randomless but not suffering.
If there is suffering, there is drama.
That's why the Darwin Awards are funny and Family Guy, as of lately, is not.
It operates on the same principles that are exposed in Funny Games, actually.
edited 21st Jan '16 3:28:04 PM by MrsRatched
Haw Haw Haw
For clarification, I'm working on a Ontological Mystery Victim of the Week Henshin Hero high-school drama (or, if you prefer, Kamen Rider meets Persona4 meets WataMote.)
Essentially, I want a dark tone tempered by Black Comedy and snark from the protagonists. What's generally considered acceptable as Black Comedy and what's not?
edited 14th Jan '16 1:05:38 PM by handlere
Seen in the profile picture: the Gundam Flauros Rebake Full City, piloted by McGillis Itsuka, captain of the Turbines