Is 'racist' humour ever acceptable?

[Mr Pig]

I don't have a problem at all with such taboo jokes, I hate political correctness. Being able to laugh at each other and ourselves is healthy and people who have a problem, with that are usually not the most balanced and down to earth people in the world. In fact they're often a pain in the backside!

I used to spend a lot of time with handicapped people and a lot of the time it was a riot. Most of them had no concept of political correctness and they'd rip the crap out of each other constantly. It was very liberating.

Ever wonder why stand-up comedy isn't very funny these days?

 

[cheadle hulme]

I don't get the 2.30 one.

For a general rule of thumb, you should be comfortable telling any joke in front of the subject of the joke. As long as its inclusive, people don't usually mind.

 

[johnnyh]

whilst I dont condone attacking someone over race, colour, creed etc, I do think that the PC brigade need to "do one" and let us have our right to smile back.

 

[johnnyh]

2.30 = two thirty = toothurty = tooth hurty

 

[Auntie Helen]

I don't have a problem at all with such taboo jokes, I hate political correctness. Being able to laugh at each other and ourselves is healthy and people who have a problem, with that are usually not the most balanced and down to earth people in the world. In fact they're often a pain in the backside!

I used to spend a lot of time with handicapped people and a lot of the time it was a riot. Most of them had no concept of political correctness and they'd rip the crap out of each other constantly. It was very liberating.

Ever wonder why stand-up comedy isn't very funny these days?

I don't think I'm particularly PC at all but as a disabled person, I don't like the term "handicapped" (and most other disabled people don't either). It refers back to when people put their hand to their cap to beg for money. I remember having a conversation with a much older chap about this; he said he personally didn't see anything wrong with 'handicapped'; I said that as a disabled person I felt a bit uncomfortable with it and I would rather he used disabled, which is a perfectly acceptable word, even the same number of syllables, but he said "no, I'll still use handicapped I think". Didn't seem very friendly to me.

 

[cheadle hulme]

2.30 = two thirty = toothurty = tooth hurty

Just tried it on the missus (who's Chinese). She didn't get it either. I adopted mock chinese accent and pointed to my jaw, "tooth hurty!".

She thought it was mildly amusing rather than offensive. And a bit pants!

 

[1LegRikk]

Love all those kind of jokes and many more, being disabled as well (whats up with you Auntie Helen?) I used to get the piss ripped out of me constantly at work, it was just one of those things
"which pub we off to today?"
"hmmm, who's carrying the crip?, if it's me we're going next door"
Stuff like that, doesn't bother me at all.
I find it very strange how people can get worked up over a word, say what you want when you want to, it's very easy to hear if it's meant in jest/friendly or as an insult, then just act accordingly, ie laugh or slap

 

[Night Train]

PC isn't really the issue, it is the offence that may be caused whether it is intended or not. Sometimes it may be ok to use a word or a phrase but at other times one should take into account whether or not it might cause offence either to the person it is aimed at or to others who may over hear or, when used in a particular context, would be offensive to a group of people.

I have no problem with someone telling me a joke that uses the humour of stereotypical Chinese pronounciation but assuming that I work in a take away or 'just got off the boat' would be offensive.

 

[Cathryn]

I agree...it's not so much the humour as the effect it has on someone and potentially the malice/or not in which it's used. If it upset someone, it doesn't matter how nicely they meant it, or if everyone else thought it was funny. Sometimes it's not worth the risk.

Had to email my french friend today (Froggy) to ask her if she was offended. She called me a Rosbif back!

I also love the chinese dentist joke. It's my husband's favourite and it never even occurred to me it might be racist!! Oops.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I also love the chinese dentist joke. It's my husband's favourite and it never even occurred to me it might be racist!! Oops.

That's because it's not.

 

[1LegRikk]

But surely the only way to see if someone does or doesn't like something is to test the water, if i tell a joke or talk to someone in a certain way and I can see they don't like it I won't do it again.
I can't have a rambling precursor to every joke or off the cuff remark I want to say explaining I may or may not say something that may or may not offend said person.

 

[Rob S]

I don't think I'm particularly PC at all but as a disabled person, I don't like the term "handicapped" (and most other disabled people don't either). It refers back to when people put their hand to their cap to beg for money. I remember having a conversation with a much older chap about this; he said he personally didn't see anything wrong with 'handicapped'; I said that as a disabled person I felt a bit uncomfortable with it and I would rather he used disabled, which is a perfectly acceptable word, even the same number of syllables, but he said "no, I'll still use handicapped I think". Didn't seem very friendly to me.

And of course plenty of people object to being refered to as 'disabled' prefering terms like 'differently abled'...other people will object to 'the disabled' or 'the blind' prefering 'disabled people' (except people mentioned above who no doubt demand you say 'differently abled people') or 'blind people'.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Well yes, the PC wording is a minefield! I think what I meant to say in the above post was that I had specifically told this chappie that I was uncomfortable with 'handicapped' and would like him to use 'disabled' in reference to me. And he said he'd continue to use 'handicapped'.

I must admit, I dislike as a general rule using a word like 'disabled' as a collective group, like "Holidays for the disabled", in the same way as I dislike "this film is very popular with gays". What, gays aren't people too??? 'Disabled', 'gay', 'black' etc are all adjectives and should have their relevant noun attached, which is usually 'people'.

 

[Mortiroloboy]

He was black and gay. The officer wanted to know if he had a disability as well. It's not funny.

No, but it is indicative of the rather upside down world we live in, when someone makes a statement like that, assuming that you are going for the hatrick, as it's likely to advance you through your chosen career.

If only I was a black female lesbian!

 

[Ashtrayhead]

That's because it's not.

It's a bit like, if you spin a Chinaman round really fast will he become disorientated?