Non-PC humor

[TXlib]

Poll question: Non-PC humor

Do you ever laugh at humor based on stereotypes, misfortune or social ills (abuse against women, alcoholism, etc), tragedies (tsunami, 9/11, etc)?

If so, when is a non-PC joke "acceptable" and when isn't it?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. very very rarely....

[JimmyJazz]

2. What's the matter? Don't you have enough ammo already?

Why do you want DUers to admit to something like that?

Non-PC jokes are never acceptable - EVER.

[TXlib]

7. So, you've never found South Park funny?

I have no ulterior motive. I am just curious how other people feel about this.

Personally, I feel that some non-PC humor is acceptable, but it's important to be aware of the teller and the audience. For example, I found a gay joke told to me by a lesbian friend funny; the same joke repeated by a raving homophobe I didn't find funny at all. Humor is very dependent on context.

I personally feel that ruling out the possibility that it could ever be funny or acceptable to be the same kind of binary right/wrong thinking for which I often criticise conservatives.

[JimmyJazz]

9. I'm not being baited into this discussion so that it can be fodder

for accusing me and/or other DUers of being racist or insensitive. ;)

[TXlib]

13. That's not my goal

Although I do understand why you are concerned about that.

FWIW, I don't think laughing at the occasional joke based on non-PC or gallows humor makes one racist or insensitive.

[JimmyJazz]

15. Perhaps not, but others leap on every opportunity to group all

63,000 of us into one little pigeonhole and would love to look at this thread and say that while liberals *claim* to be pc, they are just a bunch of moonbat hypocrits.

[TXlib]

16. They'll do that no matter what

So we may as well relax, and discuss what we want, and not worry about it.

I'm a liberal, but I've never been a fan of the PC movement. My alma mater made a big deal in indoctrinating incoming freshmen in PCism. I came to the conclusion that it was all about outward appearances, but made very little effort to address or remediate the underlying stereotypes.

One can be a racist while never laughing at a Black joke, and one can laugh at Black jokes, and not be a racist.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

29. or one can be non racist and still think jokes reinforces stereotypes

[TXlib]

32. Which is why the attitudes of the teller and the audience are important

[TXlib]

38. Such jokes certainly EXPLOIT stereotypes, no argument there.

Whether or not they REINFORCE those stereotypes depends on whether the teller or the audience hold them to be true to begin with.

That is why the intentions of the teller determine, for me, whether the joke is funny.

It's also why I rarely repeat such jokes; I have to be very sure my audience knows me well, and I know them well.

[sundog]

31. hmmmm

;)

[semillama]

8. why didn't you select that in the poll?

Just curious.


I personally find dark and black humor highly amusing, but I am able to separate humor from reality.

Kind of reminds me of the George Carlin take on this. It's all about the context.

[Kellanved]

3. when it is about Macs?

:shrug:


:dunce:

[underpants]

4. There are two things I have never heard a joke made about

in any way shape form or setting

9/11
Oklahoma City bombing.

I haven't heard any tsunami ones yet and they won't be funny either.

That being said if the joke is not demeaning and the teller is someone I know who I know is just making a joke yes I will laugh at it IF it is funny.

[TXlib]

11. Tsunami jokes are already coming

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/26/quake.slur.reut/

I don't find this funny at all, but it is what motivated me to post this poll.

I find SOME non-PC humor to be acceptable, and even riotously funny, but I've never understood why. There are some jokes I've laughed at that I'd probably never repeat, and wondered why. Just wondering what the consensus here is.

I'll open up the same question on a more conservative site, to see what responses I get there.

(My hypothesis: they'll be more likely to find it acceptable. But I'm more interested in the explanations people give for their belief.)

[Squatch]

5. I find them occasionally funny. Depends on the teller...

some folks just cannot tell a joke.

[UdoKier]

6. It's totally subjective.

I'd have to hear the joke to know if I thought it was acceptable or not.

Thats the problem with PC speech codes. There is no leeway for context or nuance.

After the first space shuttle crashed these jokes went around my school within days:

What color were Christa McAuliffe's eyes?

Blue. One BLEW to the left, and one BLEW to the right.



What does NASA stand for?

Need Another Seven Astronauts!

Obviously these jokes are in very poor taste, but they may have served as an emotional vent for kids after a traumatic event. I know for a fact that very few of us ACTUALLY thought that the Challenger disaster was remotely funny.


I think we as a society need to get away from speech codes except for the most blatant examples off racist or abusive speech, and have more honest discussions when feelings are bruised to reach a real-time consensus on what's appropriate.

[TXlib]

12. Yes, I found the same to be true.

I saw the Challenger explode on TV. I was pretty shaken up over it. When the various Challenger jokes made the rounds, I laughed at them, although I did not find the motivating event remotely funny. I still chuckled lightly when I re-read those jokes. And I felt then, and still feel now, vaguely uncomfortable about laughing at them.

Yet, I don't think I'd find any joke based on 9/11 funny. Or the Holocaust. Or the tsunami. Of course, I've yet to hear any, so who knows?

[UdoKier]

17. That's true. I've never hear a 9-11 joke.

I think that was just way too traumatic for everyone to joke about. At least the astronauts knew the considerable risks when they got onboard the Challenger...

I'm sure that the anti-semites have jokes about the Holocaust. Luckily I haven't heard them...

The tsunami is remote enough and the people are "foreign" enough that the more obnoxious teens are telling crass jokes about it.

But that shit doesn't really fly in adult circles, so I haven't heard any.

[TXlib]

18. But people often *DO* deal with tragedy through humor

So I am a little surprised I've never seen a 9/11 joke.

[NoPasaran]

21. Here's a famous one

[TXlib]

33. I don't think that was intended as a joke.

More of an OMG! sort of thing.

[NoPasaran]

35. Well, it was good enough for some chuckles from me

[Speck Tater]

10. If you don't like it, don't listen.

It's called freedom of speech.

[Pithlet]

27. Freedom of speech doens't mean freedom from criticism

Freedom of speech means I can tell the non-PC joke, and it also means others are free to call me on it if they are offended.

[johnnie]

14. I'll admit it

I laugh at a lot of different things, including myself. If it's one thing that make me suspicious it's someone who doesn't laugh enough. I don't find everything funny, but I know of some things that would make a lot of people here get pissed that I find funny.

[trof]

19. Funny you should mention this, today of all days.

A friend sent me a string of Jewish jokes this morning.
I will say that we are "friends" for a couple of reasons.
1. I've known him for many years. He was best man at my wedding.
2. We have also flown together (as pilots) in the air force and, later, for airlines. During that time we've shared some life threatening experiences.

Having said that, I probably wouldn't pick him to hang out with now. I like to think I've grown and matured some since my 20s and 30s. His head is still pretty much where we were back in the 60s. He really is a decent guy, just kind of juvenile. In case you didn't do the math, we're in our 60s now.

Here's what he sent. (On edit: I had to go dig these out of the "delete" file.) Yes, most/all depend on stereotyping for the premise and punch line. I'd be interested to know if you think they're funny. I'd also like to know if you think they belittle or diminish Jews. Especially if you are a Jew.

----- Original Message ----- Subject: Jewish Jokes.



1 The Harvard School of Medicine did a study of why Jewish women like Chinese food so much. The study revealed that this is due to the fact that Won Ton spelled backward is Not Now.

2. There is a big controversy on the Jewish view of when life begins. In Jewish tradition, the fetus is not considered viable until it graduates from medical school.

3. Q: Why don't Jewish mothers drink? A: Alcohol interferes with their suffering.

4. Q: Have you seen the newest Jewish-American-Princess horror movie? A: It's called "Debbie Does Dishes."

5. Q: Why do Jewish mothers make great parole officers? A: They never let anyone finish a sentence.

6. Q: What's a Jewish American Princess's favorite position? A: Facing Bloomingdale's.

7. When the doctor called Mrs. Liebenbaum to tell her that her check came back, she replied, "So did my arthritis."

8. A man called his mother in Florida, "Mom, how are you?" "Not too good," said the mother. "I've been very weak." The son said, "Why are you so weak?" She said, "Because I haven't eaten in 38 days." The son said, "That's terrible. Why haven't you eaten in 38 days?" The mother answered, "Because I didn't want my mouth to be filled with food if you should call."

9. A Jewish boy comes home from school and tells his mother he has a part in the play. She asks, "What part is it?" The boy says, "I play the part of the Jewish husband." The mother scowls and says, "Go back and tell the teacher you want a speaking part."

10. Q: Where does a Jewish husband hide money from his wife? A: Under the vacuum cleaner.

11. Q: How many Jewish mothers does it take to change a light bulb? A: (Sigh) Don't bother. I'll sit in the dark. I don't want to

be a nuisance to anybody.

12. Short summary of every Jewish holiday: They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat.

13. Did you hear about the bum who walked up to a Jewish mother on the street and said, "Lady I haven't eaten in three

days "Force yourself," she replied.

14. Q: What's the difference between a Rottweiler and a Jewish mother? A: Eventually, the Rottweiler lets go.

15. Jewish telegram: "Begin worrying. Details to follow."

16. Q: Why are Jewish Men circumcised? A: Because Jewish women don't like anything that isn't 20% off.

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

[TXlib]

37. A few of them got a chuckle out of me

Some of them are more demeaning than others. The ones I chuckled at the most are ones which could probably be "de-ethnicised" and retain their humor.

eg--

The Harvard School of Medicine did a study of why married women like Chinese food so much. The study revealed that this is due to the fact that Won Ton spelled backward is Not Now.

[ChoralScholar]

20. absolutely NOT

Mac, Amiga, RS-6000, or any other Non-PC joke is never acceptable.

[trof]

22. kick

[LSdemocrat]

23. Yes, I find Family Guy hilarious

[DrGonzoLives]

24. In small doses

Every once in a while, something like that. When someone tells them ALL THE TIME, though, that's when I begin to wonder.

[nickgutierrez]

25. Yes, sometimes.

This sort of humor functions by creating a middle ground between truth and fiction. Whether or not it's funny depends in no small part on which side of the truth/fiction divide the teller of the joke is coming from: gay jokes from a person that is gay (closer to truth) is funnier than gay jokes from a homophobe (closer to fiction).

There is no topic that is inherently not funny, and if anything proves this it's the existence of Hitler jokes. If anything is un-funny, shouldn't that thing be the man that killed millions of people?

On the other hand, there are certainly a list of topics that should be dealt with using 'kid gloves' -- you certainly don't want to make a joke that implies that the Holocaust was a good thing, for instance, unless you're aiming for a very dark tone indeed.

[sonicx]

26. I don't like these choices...

Becuase it depends. South Park and Dave Chappelle's Show are cool, but the HOT97 tsunami "parody song" is tasteless, disgusting, and acceptable not matter what.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

28. Until someone defines what the hell "PC" is........

....this is a silly question. You might as well not laugh at anything.

[AlienGirl]

30. Comedy from tragedy

If a tragedy is something that has affected *me*, I find jokes about it hilarious. You wouldn't believe some of the cracks I made about cancer treatments. (I can't remember them all; most focused around the idea that having a chunk of my tongue cut off wasn't going to shut me up.)

If it's a tragedy that involves someone else, I usually can't laugh about it. I still don't know any good 9/11 jokes or tsunami humor.

Tucker

[Orsino]

34. I dug Dice, and Cartman/Mr. Garrison are hilarious, too.

When I know that such humor skewers itself, I can really enjoy it.

[DemGirl7]

36. The Non-PC humor on www.whitehouse.org is funny...

I just love how they cut up republicans and the Bush adimin., I find it also funny how the website is setup...from the looks of it, it seems that it's pro-Bush/pro-republicans, but once you read the stuff...they just cut them up...