Critic: People today place an especially high value on respect for others; yet, in their comedy acts, many of today’s most popular comedians display blatant disrespect for others. But when people fail to live up to the very ideals they hold in highest esteem, exaggeration of such failings often forms the basis of successful comedy. Thus the current popularity of comedians who display disrespect in their acts is hardly surprising.
The critic’s argument depends on which one of the following assumptions?
(A) People who enjoy comedians who display disrespect in their acts do not place a high value on respect for others.
(B) Only comedians who display blatant disrespect in their acts are currently successful.
(C) Many people disapprove of the portrayal of blatant disrespect for others in comedy acts.
(D) People who value an ideal especially highly do not always succeed in living up to this ideal.
(E) People today fail to live up to their own ideals more frequently than was the case in the past.