The Prohibition of Mocking Greta?

I generally stay away from politics, but I saw an interesting halachic discussion online that ties into how to interpret categorical statements of prohibition in the gemara.

Apparently, people have been mocking Greta Thunberg, using memes and the like. For instance, this tweet:

Or this one:

Memes and mockery can be powerful tools in deflating bad and dangerous ideas, and the people that espouse them. I personally think that Greta’s simplistic climate advocacy has caused a lot of real world harm, and her recent shift to oppose Israel and effectively support Hamas is a bad thing, and could lead to the death of more Jews.

However, some have pointed to a gemara in Megillah and Sanhedrin which, on a straightforward level, can be understood as saying such mockery is אסור, prohibited. Thus, Rabbi Gil Student pointed to Megillah 25b:

אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: כֹּל לֵיצָנוּתָא אֲסִירָא, בַּר מִלֵּיצָנוּתָא דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה — דְּשַׁרְיָא. דִּכְתִיב: ״כָּרַע בֵּל קֹרֵס נְבוֹ״, וּכְתִיב: ״קָרְסוּ כָרְעוּ יַחְדָּיו לֹא יָכְלוּ מַלֵּט מַשָּׂא וְגוֹ׳״. רַבִּי יַנַּאי אָמַר, מֵהָכָא: ״לְעֶגְלוֹת בֵּית אָוֶן יָגוּרוּ שְׁכַן שׁוֹמְרוֹן כִּי אָבַל עָלָיו עַמּוֹ וּכְמָרָיו עָלָיו יָגִילוּ עַל כְּבוֹדוֹ כִּי גָלָה מִמֶּנּוּ״. אַל תִּקְרֵי ״כְּבוֹדוֹ״, אֶלָּא ״כְּבֵידוֹ״.

Similarly, Rav Naḥman said: All mockery and obscenity is forbidden except for mockery of idol worship, which is permitted, as it is written: “Bel bows down, Nevo stoops” (Isaiah 46:1). The prophet mocks these idols by describing them as crouching in order to defecate. Additionally, it is written: “They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden” (Isaiah 46:2). Rabbi Yannai said: This principle that one is permitted to mock idol worship is derived from here: “The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in dread for the calves of Beth-aven; for its people shall mourn over it, and its priests shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it” (Hosea 10:5). Do not read it is as “its glory [kevodo],” rather read it as its burden [keveido], meaning that it is unable to restrain itself from defecating.

From the first part of the statement, כֹּל לֵיצָנוּתָא אֲסִירָא, it seems that all mockery is forbidden, except for this singular exception.

However:

1. The word מִלֵּיצָנוּתָא isn’t precisely defined, and could refer to obscene mockery, like talking about an idol defecating.
   

2. Further, the Rav Nachman’s purpose in speaking, and Rabbi Yannai’s purpose in speaking, was not to establish mockery as categorically forbidden. Rather, it was to establish mockery of idols permitted. This is clear because their prooftexts are about the permitted mockery of idols. They don’t quote verses to establish the forbidden.
   
   If so, Rav Nachman bar Yaakov might say that in the general case, mockery is not a good trait. But he did not not mean that the general case is the comprehensive case. Since his focus was on the exception, he might not have meant “all” all. Indeed, even where we have zeh haklal in the Mishnah, that is a general rule but there are often scattered unmentioned exceptions and carve-outs.
   

3. And there do seem to be carve-outs. As researched in this answer at Mi Yodeya, Shulchan Aruch mentioned אלא שמצוה להקל ולזלזל בו, it is a mitzvah to make light of and denigrate a judge who bought his position, based on Yerushlmi Bikkurim 3:3, ר' מנא מיקל לאילין דמתמניי בכסף. רבי אימי קרא עליהון [שמות כ כ] אלהי כסף ואלהי זהב לא תעשו לכם. R. Mani spoke with disrespect of those that get appointed to office for money. R. Imi would apply to them the Scriptural verse, gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you (Ex. XX, 20).
   
   Admittedly, the pasuk in Shemot talks about Elohei Kesef, so we could connect it to idolatry. But I think the derasha here is that it is elohei kesef, with elohim being judges rather than idols. The point being that it is a good idea to use mockery to undermine bad things.
   
   The answerer also references the Arizal’s siddur, which contains this text: אכן בסידור האריז"ל ( שסידר הר"ר שבתי ז"ל) בהלכות דרך ארץ (להדמ" פ אות יד) כתב, שכשם שהליצנות עבירה גדולה כך מצוה גדולה להתלוצץ מעבודה זרה וממנהיגי רשעים.
   
   That is, “just as mockery is a great sin, so is it a great mitzvah to mock idolatry and the manhigei reshaim / wicked leaders.
   
   The idea would be that it undermines their influence.
   

4. In general, while sure, it has a halachic aspect to it, there is also a quasi-homiletic aspect to this statement. This might be in the realm of derech eretz, proper conduct, rather than clear-cut halacha, with Biblical or Rabbinic prohibitions. If so, judicious use of mockery would not be a halachic violation.
   
   And, if judiciously applied, might not even be a moral violation. As a homiletical statement, we are to take this as moral guidance, and understand that mockery is generally inappropriate but can be occasionally used for good.