Are Racist and Sexist jokes ok if they are used purely in a joking manner?

[neonsword13-ops]

All depeneds on the job. Comedians do it every day but who says they are not allowed to?

 

[KenzS]

My black girlfriend disagrees.

 

[SilentVirus]

Depends on who your with and who is listening. Jokes on touchy subjects are quick to arouse negative emotions in some and positive emotions in others.

 

[Cid Silverwing]

Never. Not once. It hurts sensitive people.

 

[Shio]

I don't find either topic funny, so no.

 

[Loonyyy]

If you're willing to be the butt of them as well: "Why does no-one play hide and seek with white people in the snow?"
"Because no-one can ever find them again."
Not particularly good, but you get the idea. As long as you are fair and the other person isn't sensitive about it, then it should be fine. Also, being a certain group does not entitle you to make jokes, and some things are never funny. Such as the N-word. Anyone using that, anyone who says it is just a word should go and try to work on a 1800's style cotton plantation for no pay.

 

[funguy2121]

I read from a joke book that jokes that can hurt people should only be done in the company of people who understand and will not be offended. Seeing as most places don't want you to say offensive things because of the wild variable of how random people might react (sure it's funny but a emotional scar is still none the less painful) it's always best not to do it unless your a shock jock comedian in which case. I guess make sure you come off intelligent less you be carlos mencia.

Was that book written by this guy?

People trying to teach comedy or go to school to learn punk rock. I swear, if we didn't have offensive comics, the suicide rate would be through the roof.

 

[funguy2121]

Yes, its fine.


As a comment though, the legal system is already biased in Favor of Women, so it isnt as funny as it may have been about two decades ago.

Where do you live? In Pakistan where a rape victim goes to prison for adultery because she can't furnish 7 witnesses, or in America where 15 out of 16 rapists never spend a single day in jail?

The dating system favors women. Some female-dominated fields dominate women. That's about it.

Source: http://www.rainn.org/statistics

Edit: This should say "favor."

 

[gyroscopeboy]

snip.

I like this guy. Particularly the bit he did on Health and Safety in that same sketch.

"How on earth did you not fall in that hole when there were no signs there?"
"Easy, my parents taught me not to be a dick."

This is the funniest bit i've seen in a long time..i laughed so fucking hard haha

 

[Kill the messenger721]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ2tWdyiCdk&feature=related Sums up what I want to say.

 

[funguy2121]

I'm getting too chatty on this thread. I promise to simmer down and be a good boy after this post

On that note, I don't often hear about specific jokes targeted at rich, straight, white men (though I've often see them tell racist/sexist jokes). Perhaps I've just missed people saying them, but I think it's significant that jokes of that nature are far less prevalent.

Actually, I've heard quite a few. They don't bother me at all (and aside from the money, I fit the profile), for 2 reasons. 1. Maybe it's because there's so many straight white guys out there and we've hogged the collective discourse for so long, but it's impossible for me to feel like there's anything wrong with me for being straight, or being a guy, or being white. When I first heard that some gay people have an epithet for us ("breeders") (also a fantastic band), I laughed my ass off. My ex was telling me a story of her feelings being hurt (I was trying to be sensitive), and I told her she should be glad she's a breeder, 'cos that means she doesn't have to be treated like shit every day of her life. I have heard quite a bit of racist-toward-whites humor come out of the black community, and I don't mean good natured Chappellesque jokes. It just sounds every bit as ignorant as white-to-black racist humor, but it really doesn't offend me, probably because my ancestors came here by choice and this humor (at least as far as the audience is concerned) almost never involves a person in a position of power/fortune belittling a person without either. 2. Quite a lot of this humor is actually making fun of rich straight white male people for not having the same problems as everyone else. That's not mean-spirited, it's cathartic. And I love it. Driving past a punk rocker on the street one time, a black friend asked, "What the Hell?" I explained to her, "That's what white people who hate white people look like."

Damn, but that was rambly. Can't wait for Skyward Sword!

 

[Swifteye]

I read from a joke book that jokes that can hurt people should only be done in the company of people who understand and will not be offended. Seeing as most places don't want you to say offensive things because of the wild variable of how random people might react (sure it's funny but a emotional scar is still none the less painful) it's always best not to do it unless your a shock jock comedian in which case. I guess make sure you come off intelligent less you be carlos mencia.

Was that book written by this guy?

People trying to teach comedy or go to school to learn punk rock. I swear, if we didn't have offensive comics, the suicide rate would be through the roof.

Hmm. Hard to say it was a long time ago that I had read that book. Still though certainly many funny jokes are at the expensive of someone somewhere but personally I'm more in favor of wholesome humor that isn't so intent on being offensive and is just suppose to be funny. I know people love george carlin and Richard pryor but I don't nesscarily respect them for being really crude comics cause to be honest nowadays there a dime a dozen.

But then again I was brought up in a house where if you cussed often it was just because you weren't clever enough to use more complex words creatively. Also I myself love puns and word play. I mean give me picture of naruto yelling the catchphrase believe it while holding the product "I can't believe it's not butter!" and you nail me. Nail me good.

But I'm not completely against offensive jokes I just prefer jokes that I can tell my friends and then tell my mom or even a stranger without them turning there nose at me and being upset that I said it.

 

[funguy2121]

I find it funny because there are people out there who actually believe it, for me I'm not laughing at the expense of the group that the joke is about, I'm laughing at the people who believe what the joke is about. Where does that fall? (honestly asking not trying to be an ass)

Wow, synchronicity. I just found these off Huffington Post when I couldn't sleep. Let me get to my bookmarks...

These are reactions of moron FB users who don't understand (even though, in some cases, it's been explained to them) what The Onion is. In case you aren't Amer-you know what? Forget that. From what you just said, I'm sure you can figure it out from the context.

You could generate an hour and a half of pure gold standup material from this.

http://literallyunbelievable.org/post/6141316330/so-when-will-people-learn-that-this-is-wrong

http://literallyunbelievable.org/post/6105921601/is-this-crap-for-real

http://literallyunbelievable.org/post/6039865832/i-dont-like-this-one-bit

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/27/literally-unbelievable-facebook-the-onion_n_868115.html#s284701

Sorry, I seem to have lost the reaction where the woman put's god's name in all caps but misspells it.

To answer your question, I don't think what you described is bigoted at all. Sarah Silverman discussed in her book (I forget what she called the phenomenon and I'm sleep deprived) when a joke is about racism and some asshole laughs at the actually racist part which isn't even intended to be funny. She also said that Journey's lead singer came up to her a few years ago and proclaimed "I love your ****** jokes! Hey Johnny, come meet this chick, she has the best ****** jokes!" Silverman said that after that, she stopped believin'.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well comedy always mocks and pushes the boundary of societal "laws", that is just what comedy is and people need to grasp that (looking at you mr Portal offended me).

But comedy is for a specific time and place, can't pull jokes off everywhere.

 

[funguy2121]

Honestly?

That's why when people tell me Duke Nukem Forever is a satire of sexism, I don't buy that. Nothing about how the game was marketted suggests that they are criticising the idea of sexism or using women as sex objects, and the character Duke himself never becomes someone we are expected to dislike or pity. It certainly isn't critizing Duke, if anything it's celebrating all the sexist imagery.
Especially with that whole 'Capture the babe' thing. The game that makes a woman into a human equivilant of the 'flag' in a CTF gametype. One who you have to clam down by slapping her on the arse.
If this was meant to represent some kind of deep and important criticism of sexism, I'm not seeing it. And if this is some sort of joke, I, and a lot of women's rights groups, are not laughing.

Duke Nukem is a satirical caricature of Rambo-esque testosterone-fueled action films. They are not "criticizing the idea of sexism" so much as they're blowing it out of proportion to laughably ridiculous levels, and the way it's marketed plays it straight because frankly the genre Duke Nukem is satirizing does this despite its inherent ridiculousness. The satire is not the elements of Duke Nukem that people find offensive. Rather, the elements of Duke Nukem that people find offensive are satirizing a genre. Is it tasteful? That's entirely subjective. I, for one, think it's clever and amusing. I don't really play Duke Nukem games, but they have a right to be made, and I appreciate the humor.

Not trying to turn this into a "Is Duke Nukem sexist?" thread, but I feel like a lot of people just aren't getting the joke with Duke.

Yeah, but the "Movie Movie" people (in other words, all of the Wayans brothers besides Damon and Keenan Ivory, the only 2 talented ones) do satire too; they just do it poorly. If you want to see satire of over-the-top adolescent-pandering violence and hypersexuality (in addition to a great many other things), done with wit and intellect, may I recommend No More Heroes. Instead of a hulking hypermasculine figure, the hero is (in addition to a badass killer) a nerd. Who doesn't get laid. And has transformer figurines all over his apartment.

 

[kayisking]

Honestly?

That's why when people tell me Duke Nukem Forever is a satire of sexism, I don't buy that. Nothing about how the game was marketted suggests that they are criticising the idea of sexism or using women as sex objects, and the character Duke himself never becomes someone we are expected to dislike or pity. It certainly isn't critizing Duke, if anything it's celebrating all the sexist imagery.
Especially with that whole 'Capture the babe' thing. The game that makes a woman into a human equivilant of the 'flag' in a CTF gametype. One who you have to clam down by slapping her on the arse.
If this was meant to represent some kind of deep and important criticism of sexism, I'm not seeing it. And if this is some sort of joke, I, and a lot of women's rights groups, are not laughing.

Duke Nukem is a satirical caricature of Rambo-esque testosterone-fueled action films. They are not "criticizing the idea of sexism" so much as they're blowing it out of proportion to laughably ridiculous levels, and the way it's marketed plays it straight because frankly the genre Duke Nukem is satirizing does this despite its inherent ridiculousness. The satire is not the elements of Duke Nukem that people find offensive. Rather, the elements of Duke Nukem that people find offensive are satirizing a genre. Is it tasteful? That's entirely subjective. I, for one, think it's clever and amusing. I don't really play Duke Nukem games, but they have a right to be made, and I appreciate the humor.

Not trying to turn this into a "Is Duke Nukem sexist?" thread, but I feel like a lot of people just aren't getting the joke with Duke.

Yeah, but the "Movie Movie" people (in other words, all of the Wayans brothers besides Damon and Keenan Ivory, the only 2 talented ones) do satire too; they just do it poorly. If you want to see satire of over-the-top adolescent-pandering violence and hypersexuality (in addition to a great many other things), done with wit and intellect, may I recommend No More Heroes. Instead of a hulking hypermasculine figure, the hero is (in addition to a badass killer) a nerd. Who doesn't get laid. And has transformer figurines all over his apartment.

Your description makes me think of Scott Pilgrim.

 

[SwagLordYoloson]

As long as no one gets offended

People get offended by anything these days, I am not condoning insulting people, but if you say literally anything on the Internet/or IRL, you can get people claiming it was offensive.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Intention is everything in these situations. If you're doing it for the lulz, fine. If you're being actually racist, that's bad.

 

[funguy2121]

I read from a joke book that jokes that can hurt people should only be done in the company of people who understand and will not be offended. Seeing as most places don't want you to say offensive things because of the wild variable of how random people might react (sure it's funny but a emotional scar is still none the less painful) it's always best not to do it unless your a shock jock comedian in which case. I guess make sure you come off intelligent less you be carlos mencia.

Was that book written by this guy?

People trying to teach comedy or go to school to learn punk rock. I swear, if we didn't have offensive comics, the suicide rate would be through the roof.

Hmm. Hard to say it was a long time ago that I had read that book. Still though certainly many funny jokes are at the expensive of someone somewhere but personally I'm more in favor of wholesome humor that isn't so intent on being offensive and is just suppose to be funny. I know people love george carlin and Richard pryor but I don't nesscarily respect them for being really crude comics cause to be honest nowadays there a dime a dozen.

But then again I was brought up in a house where if you cussed often it was just because you weren't clever enough to use more complex words creatively. Also I myself love puns and word play. I mean give me picture of naruto yelling the catchphrase believe it while holding the product "I can't believe it's not butter!" and you nail me. Nail me good.

But I'm not completely against offensive jokes I just prefer jokes that I can tell my friends and then tell my mom or even a stranger without them turning there nose at me and being upset that I said it.

Mods: Is "Oh Jesus" too short?

Edit: I got it! I know how to escape mod wrath for a low content post!

...but I don't want to nail you good!

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

As long as no one gets offended

Someone will ALWAYS get offended by something.
As for the actual question, yes it's okay, but only if you make jokes about every single other kind of ethnicity. Even your own.
Everyone's equal and therefore it must be the same in jokes.
Just leave Jewish people out of it though. They've had enough.