Potentially Controversial for a Monday

[Bangkok]

Is there a subject that is not suitable for humour?

[georgit79]

..and it seems as if you're saying, "I'm allowed to tell 9/11 jokes because I was indirectly involved in the atrocities".

[Ahmed]

Ok point taken.

 

Could you please tell me why you are highlighting certain 'key' words? Are you intending the other users to read the bold words as a new sentence within? I'm a little confused.

[smudge]

Thank you georgit, I was beginning to wonder whether it was just me!

[New Forester]

The vast majority of "stupid irish" or other stereotype jokes do not need the stereotype to work.  You just say "There was this really naive bloke" instead of making it Irish (or Kerry, or Ukrainian or whatever); "a recently qualified driver" instead of "woman driver"; " a stingy bas*ard" rather than a Jewish, Scottish or Yorkshire person.  If a joke really is funny, it can nearly always be told without the lazy short-cut -- and in my experience the audience does not notice the change.

 

When told with the stereotype, such jokes often serve to reinforce bigotry and make such views and actions seem socially acceptable.  On the other hand, some stereotypes are not offensive.  Many "Jewish mother" jokes are like this -- they are social observation rather than bigotry -- and by far the best Jewish jokes I've heard were told by Jewish people.  Though even then, "ambitious mother", "over-protective parent" and so on work just as well.

 

It's also more acceptable where the joke attacks bigotry itself.  For example, the "make sure he's dead" one told (twice) in Cardboard's thread is like that.

 

Sometimes it's the very fact that a joke is tasteless which makes it funny.  I don't mind these, so long as the boundary is tailored to the audience and the humour does not give solace to evil people.  For example, personally I found the pederast and incest jokes in Cardboard's thread to be well beyond that boundary -- they sound like the sort of jokes such people might actually tell to each other.

[smudge]

See above Ahmed - noddy highlights natalie - isn't this what the bold facility is for? Also, if you take a look on other threads you will see the same. It is nothing personal, it's just to highlight certain dull grey words!

[Ahmed]

No, that's not what I'm saying at all.

I have a particular sense of humour, others have a simliar sense of humour, many do not.

In fact, I tend to find things that offend people amusing, because they get people so worked up about it. Whether it be child abuse, 9/11, racial jokes, harold shipman one-liners whatever,  I'm not saying I endorse/condone the subject matter, I'm just saying that I take pleasure in witnessing how the 'offended' make a big song and dance about the aforementioned subjects and always make a big point of telling everyone how discusted and appauled they are.

[smudge]

New Forester - you're so sensible & your jokes have been very entertaining! Thank you!

[Ahmed]

Ok. I realise that humour is a very personal thing and sometimes it's very difficult to explain why someone thinks something's funny, when someone else doesn't (I still can't find anything amusing about Red Dwarf :). I guess this makes us all individual and gives us out identity. I guess if we all laughed at the same things the world be be rather dull and predictable.

So I'm apologising for any posts that offended people, I really didn't mean to upset anyone, more test a theory.

So I'm going to say no more on the matter.....

Thanks guys & gals

[natalie_1982]

I'm sticking up for Ahmed now, he is merely answering the question and is well within his rights to defend his personality. I personally found that the jokes were a little distasteful for me but I'm sure other people will appreciate whether they have been affected by the content or not. I do find with many jokes that I feel guilty for finding them amusing, but how is that hurting anyone if you ensure that you're not telling it to 'just anyone'. Also, I don't think Irish jokes should be replaced with "a really naive bloke" as that kind of loses the funniness to me - I don't want a barrage of insults calling me racist now. Sometimes things seem so horrendous that all you can do is laugh at the situation and silly jokes evolve!

[alyson_twigg]

I also agree with Ahmed. He has come up with two or three interesting points. Not too shabby for a ****

[smudge]

natalie - no one is knocking Ahmed's personality - I don't even know him - do you? I purely thought those  two particular jokes were sick & I see that I am not alone in thinking that.

 

Anyway, as I said before, I have been cracking up at most of the jokes on that thread - including yours natalie! Very humorous - keep 'em coming!

[natalie_1982]

I totally agree smudge, I keep going back and checking to see for new jokes and racking my brains for any I might have forgotten. I think we owe thanks to cardboard and ICEMANSAV in particular!

[georgit79]

see, I don't find alyson_twigg funny...that's beyond the pale if you ask me.

[smudge]

Yep, ICEMANSAV along with others, have had me cracking up too natalie!

[ICEMANSAV]

Oh I have more do you want them though on the same thread natalie or are you sick of all the e-mails now?

[cardboard]

Cheers natalie. We aim to please

[archbishop]

I don't find any joke distasteful. Some are just funnier than others.

[natalie_1982]

I don't get the emails, I close the question as soon as I've posted it! I work with complaints all day so go in there every so often to cheer myself up!

[cardboard]

emails? closing questions? Whats everyone talking about?

[natalie_1982]

When you post a question, every time you get an answer AB sends an email with the link to your account. But at the top to the right of the question it says something like "Got an answer?", and if you click it then AB stops sending emails every time you're answered.