I'd be happy to hear fewer banjo jokes and fewer body-count/misery jokes about the ballads.

Chances are, a folk audience is there because they like banjos and ballads, maybe even like them very much, and already know something about them.

The banjo is a wonderful instrument well-played.

The long survival of the ballads hows that the dark ones need no apologies or special pleading.

The jokes about both fall into the deprecating category--deprecating the tradition.