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Insensitive and Offensive humor

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  • Insensitive and Offensive humor

    This thread was prompted by the discussion in the Don Lemon thread, mostly this post:

    Originally posted by carpedm9587 View Post
    Jokes about black people being freed from a plantation, Seer, are inappropriate. Slavery was not a joke. Jim Crow was not a joke. And the persistent vestiges of racism in our society are not a basis for humor. It's both unkind and amazingly insensitive.

    And yes - that is my opinion.

    It is also hard to continue to defend someone as "not racist" if they see this kind of humor as appropriate.
    I don't think I've mentioned this on here, but I'll mention it here because I think it's relevant to what I'm trying to say: I'm actually on the autism spectrum. I also struggle with depression to varying degrees (sometimes pretty severely). All that to say this: I find humor in virtually anything; call it a coping mechanism. I will readily acknowledge that this is a character flaw and I ought not make light of everything, regardless of my excuse for it. Additionally, I often have trouble seeing why something is offensive to certain people, and vice versa. Sometimes I'll bounce a possible joke (for facebook or whatever) off my wife because, although I find it inoffensive, I sometimes genuinely cannot tell if other people won't. She's prevented me from commenting numerous times this way.

    All that to say this: I don't find the "plantation" joke offensive. If this is inappropriate of me (and it may well be), it's an example of my sinful tendency to joke about everything, not a sign that I'm racist. And yet in today's political climate, I fully expect the former explanation to be laughed off and dismissed, without any benefit of the doubt being given. (sometimes the "you should know if something is offensive" will not be applicable to me. Sorry, can't help it) This makes me afraid to speak up at times, because a joke or a question that I have could so easily be construed by someone as horribly offensive, when clueless little me over here didn't intend that at all and frankly can't even understand it.
    I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

  • #2
    I didn't find it offensive either. If someone had said they should get back on the plantation seriously, that would be racist. But the inference was clear, that the democrats treat blacks like they own them, and if any "escape" and become republican then they are treated as traitors and turncoats. It was a dig against the democratic party, not blacks.

    But in today's PC climate, just mentioning a banned word, like "plantation" makes it racist. Like when Papa John made the comment that Colonel Sanders used the N-word, he had to quit his job even though he didn't call any black people the n-word (note I cant even say the actual word because of the same reasons) - or when Megyn Kelly said something about blackface being acceptable in the past. That somehow translated into her being racist.

    People on the left are just way too touchy today.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Sparko View Post
      I didn't find it offensive either. If someone had said they should get back on the plantation seriously, that would be racist. But the inference was clear, that the democrats treat blacks like they own them, and if any "escape" and become republican then they are treated as traitors and turncoats. It was a dig against the democratic party, not blacks.

      But in today's PC climate, just mentioning a banned word, like "plantation" makes it racist. Like when Papa John made the comment that Colonel Sanders used the N-word, he had to quit his job even though he didn't call any black people the n-word (note I cant even say the actual word because of the same reasons) - or when Megyn Kelly said something about blackface being acceptable in the past. That somehow translated into her being racist.

      People on the left are just way too touchy today.
      For the sarcastically impaired the following is said in jest

      How DARE you call the left "touchy" you racist scum bucket pirate!!!

      Last edited by Littlejoe; 11-05-2018, 02:32 PM.
      "What has the Church gained if it is popular, but there is no conviction, no repentance, no power?" - A.W. Tozer

      "... there are two parties in Washington, the stupid party and the evil party, who occasionally get together and do something both stupid and evil, and this is called bipartisanship." - Everett Dirksen

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Littlejoe View Post
        For the sarcastically impaired the following is said in jest

        How DARE you call the left "touchy" you racist scum bucket pirate!!!

        By definition pirates are scum buckets. So in addition to being redundant, you answered your own question.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
          . . . clip . . . All that to say this: I find humor in virtually anything; call it a coping mechanism. I will readily acknowledge that this is a character flaw and I ought not make light of everything, regardless of my excuse for it.
          This is not really a character flaw unless we all have the same flaw. Finding humor in painful or offensive matters is a quite common way for cops, ER people and many others. I did not read the thread, but it appears that Carp has jumped into another foolish extreme. In other words it ain't you, Zy.
          Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Jedidiah View Post
            This is not really a character flaw unless we all have the same flaw. Finding humor in painful or offensive matters is a quite common way for cops, ER people and many others. I did not read the thread, but it appears that Carp has jumped into another foolish extreme. In other words it ain't you, Zy.
            Oh, there are plenty of other examples. Just take my word for it--I can and will find humor in a variety of subjects that I expect would be considered...inappropriate.
            I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Jedidiah View Post
              This is not really a character flaw unless we all have the same flaw. Finding humor in painful or offensive matters is a quite common way for cops, ER people and many others. I did not read the thread, but it appears that Carp has jumped into another foolish extreme. In other words it ain't you, Zy.
              When we got back to the firehouse after my first really bad car accident they guys stated to talk about ordering a large pizza with lots of extra sausage. I didn't get it as first, there were no restaurants open at that hour.
              Atheism is the cult of death, the death of hope. The universe is doomed, you are doomed, the only thing that remains is to await your execution...

              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbnueb2OI4o&t=3s

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by seer View Post
                When we got back to the firehouse after my first really bad car accident they guys stated to talk about ordering a large pizza with lots of extra sausage. I didn't get it as first, there were no restaurants open at that hour.
                ewwwww

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Zymologist View Post
                  This thread was prompted by the discussion in the Don Lemon thread, mostly this post:



                  I don't think I've mentioned this on here, but I'll mention it here because I think it's relevant to what I'm trying to say: I'm actually on the autism spectrum. I also struggle with depression to varying degrees (sometimes pretty severely). All that to say this: I find humor in virtually anything; call it a coping mechanism. I will readily acknowledge that this is a character flaw and I ought not make light of everything, regardless of my excuse for it. Additionally, I often have trouble seeing why something is offensive to certain people, and vice versa. Sometimes I'll bounce a possible joke (for facebook or whatever) off my wife because, although I find it inoffensive, I sometimes genuinely cannot tell if other people won't. She's prevented me from commenting numerous times this way.

                  All that to say this: I don't find the "plantation" joke offensive. If this is inappropriate of me (and it may well be), it's an example of my sinful tendency to joke about everything, not a sign that I'm racist. And yet in today's political climate, I fully expect the former explanation to be laughed off and dismissed, without any benefit of the doubt being given. (sometimes the "you should know if something is offensive" will not be applicable to me. Sorry, can't help it) This makes me afraid to speak up at times, because a joke or a question that I have could so easily be construed by someone as horribly offensive, when clueless little me over here didn't intend that at all and frankly can't even understand it.
                  If he thinks that’s bad he needs to spend an hour in the back of a bread van on the flight line.
                  "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                  GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by seer View Post
                    When we got back to the firehouse after my first really bad car accident they guys stated to talk about ordering a large pizza with lots of extra sausage. I didn't get it as first, there were no restaurants open at that hour.
                    Sounds like something firemen would say.
                    "The man from the yacht thought he was the first to find England; I thought I was the first to find Europe. I did try to found a heresy of my own; and when I had put the last touches to it, I discovered that it was orthodoxy."
                    GK Chesterton; Orthodoxy

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I don't joke about people going to hell, rape, race, mental illness (except my own autism) or murder. I don't experience that as a burden of any kind.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Our politically correct culture today has made joke material a dangerous territory. Part of why some jokes are even funny is because they touch on otherwise taboo topics. People take themselves and others way too seriously.

                        Of course, I'm a cop and our sense of humor sometimes is....extreme. I think a joke about how chunk's of someone's face look like a pepperoni pizza is funny, so I guess our perspective can be a little different.

                        To be honest though, I think our sense of humor develops as a coping mechanism. At some point, you're swimming in negativity and it's nice to find SOMETHING, ANYTHING to laugh about. But as that sense of humor takes hold, you begin to regard many taboo subjects as joke-worthy. And...then people think you're super screwed up in the head.
                        "If you believe, take the first step, it leads to Jesus Christ. If you don't believe, take the first step all the same, for you are bidden to take it. No one wants to know about your faith or unbelief, your orders are to perform the act of obedience on the spot. Then you will find yourself in the situation where faith becomes possible and where faith exists in the true sense of the word." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Before my family started homeschooling, I was always that weird awkward reject on the playground at school that the other kids wanted nothing to do with. I literally had no friends growing up. The closest I had to a friend was a few brief intervals where another child would speak to me. Without that socialization growing up, I had to kind of develop my own sense of humour in isolation. My own siblings who were close to my own age didn't like me either so even at home I had no-one to develop social skills with. As a result, I have the weirdest sense of humour you'll ever encounter. I find things funny that literally nobody else does, and I don't find things funny that everyone else is rolling on the floor laughing at. It's not that I don't "get it", I just don't think it's funny.
                          Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Just to show it is not a one sided thing...

                            Conservatives are acting all offended and upset about this:


                            ‘SNL’ Mocks GOP Candidate Who Lost An Eye In Afghanistan
                            “Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson mocked the appearance of Republican congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost his eye in an IED blast in Afghanistan.

                            “This guy is kind of cool — Dan Crenshaw,” began Davidson during a “Weekend Update” segment.

                            A photo of Crenshaw, who wears an eyepatch, flashed on the screen, eliciting laughter from Davidson, his fellow cast members and the SNL audience.

                            “You may be surprised to hear he’s a congressional candidate for Texas and not a hit-man in a porno movie,” continued Davidson, who’s known for his recently failed relationship with pop star Ariana Grande
                            https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/04/s...-dan-crenshaw/


                            1. I don't really find the joke funny. It was pretty stupid in fact. I would have made a pirate joke.
                            2. It was a joke. If we conservatives are telling liberals to lighten up and not get upset about every little joke or comment, then we need to do the same and not be hypocrites.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Sparko View Post
                              Just to show it is not a one sided thing...

                              Conservatives are acting all offended and upset about this:


                              ‘SNL’ Mocks GOP Candidate Who Lost An Eye In Afghanistan
                              “Saturday Night Live” cast member Pete Davidson mocked the appearance of Republican congressional candidate Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL who lost his eye in an IED blast in Afghanistan.

                              “This guy is kind of cool — Dan Crenshaw,” began Davidson during a “Weekend Update” segment.

                              A photo of Crenshaw, who wears an eyepatch, flashed on the screen, eliciting laughter from Davidson, his fellow cast members and the SNL audience.

                              “You may be surprised to hear he’s a congressional candidate for Texas and not a hit-man in a porno movie,” continued Davidson, who’s known for his recently failed relationship with pop star Ariana Grande
                              https://dailycaller.com/2018/11/04/s...-dan-crenshaw/


                              1. I don't really find the joke funny. It was pretty stupid in fact. I would have made a pirate joke.
                              2. It was a joke. If we conservatives are telling liberals to lighten up and not get upset about every little joke or comment, then we need to do the same and not be hypocrites.
                              I agree; I don't find it funny, but I also don't find it offensive.
                              I DENOUNCE DONALD J. TRUMP AND ALL HIS IMMORAL ACTS.

                              Comment

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