Jokes & Political Correctness

[Bielzibubz]

Ok, here's one for you lot to get your teeth into.

In today's climate of political correctness that invades our daily lives on a constant basis is there a limit as to how far a joke can be taken or a topic that is totally off limits?

Leaving out ethnic racism and personal attacks - I'm talking about medical conditions, hair colour, obesity etc etc.

Personally, If you can see the joke in the context in which it was meant I feel there really is nothing to get upset about.

 

[J]

if everybody just took the p_iss out of each other, it would be fine..

 

[SteveYatesSocks]

Quote[/b] (D62SUBOY @ Sep. 18 2006,11:26)]Ok, here's one for you lot to get your teeth into.

In today's climate of political correctness that invades our daily lives on a constant basis is there a limit as to how far a joke can be taken or a topic that is totally off limits?

Leaving out ethnic racism and personal attacks - I'm talking about medical conditions, hair colour, obesity etc etc.

Personally, If you can see the joke in the context in which it was meant I feel there really is nothing to get upset about.

I don't know why you think that someone who finds a joke to be in bad taste is trying to be politically correct. I'm old enough to have lived pre-pc and have always found jokes about the mentally and physically handicapped i.e. medical conditions to be unfunny.

 

[DTS]

I think anything is sort of fair game personally. If you dont like it then ignore it. Life is too short to get arsey as far as I can see.

That said if I had experience some sort of disability close hand then I am sure I would feel differently.

 

[SARF]

Im fairly easy on edgey side of humour.. Just know your audience.. Some people are more touchy than others.. Some people can find offence in anything.. If you have any really good stuff thats totally offensive them P.M me

 

[* ORM *]

The thing that really annoys me is retrospective criticism, using todays morals and values to justify condemnation of yesteryears jokes and comedies.

Anyway, there was this Englishman, a Sweaty and an Irishman .....................

Just about any subject can be funny if delivered correctly and without malice - I think we can all draw the line at paedophilia but one of my favourites jokes related to the IRA and letterbomb making. I actually started typing it out here but it doesn't look as funny on paper.

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Sep. 18 2006,14:22)]I actually started typing it out here but it doesn't look as funny on paper.

Since when has that stopped you?

 

[Jonny_Stokes]

How do you turn a fruit into a vegetable?

Aids.

 

[Bielzibubz]

Quote[/b] (SteveYatesSocks @ Sep. 18 2006,12:05)]I don't know why you think that someone who finds a joke to be in bad taste is trying to be politically correct.

Some people find jokes about being fat in bad taste. Same can be said for jokes about the old, the sick, the infirm etc. Political correctness in the sense that you shouldn't makes jokes about such subjects for fear of upsetting someone. I used the term PC in general terms but the vast majority of readers know where I'm coming from.

 

[The Artful Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Sep. 18 2006,14:22)]I think we can all draw the line at paedophilia

I beg to differ ;-

Sketch One


-Mildly amusing..

 

[blues_r_best]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Sep. 18 2006,14:22)]I think we can all draw the line at paedophilia

Never seen Brass Eye then?

 

[Hong Kong Blue]

That Brasseye special wasn't about paedophilia, it was about media sensationalism about paedophilia. Hilariously the media completely missed the point and managed to go totally overboard at the slightest mention of paedophilia, which was precisely the tendency that Chris Morris was trying to mock.

I'm also sure that many of us on here have laughed at a Michael Jackson or a Roman Catholic Priest joke before.

 

[weststander]

Bring back Alf Garnett, now that would throw the cat amongst the pigeons !!!!

 

[DTS]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 18 2006,16:41)]That Brasseye special wasn't about paedophilia, it was about media sensationalism about paedophilia. Hilariously the media completely missed the point and managed to go totally overboard at the slightest mention of paedophilia, which was precisely the tendency that Chris Morris was trying to mock.

I'm also sure that many of us on here have laughed at a Michael Jackson or a Roman Catholic Priest joke before.

Agreed - Love the Brass Eye series - Got it on DVD.

The sex offender one was blown up out of all proportion. Especially if anyone had seen the drugs (cake) on.

 

[sufcintheprem]

Quote[/b] (SARF @ Sep. 18 2006,13:24)]Im fairly easy on edgey side of humour.. Just know your audience.. Some people are more touchy than others.. Some people can find offence in anything.. If you have any really good stuff thats totally offensive them P.M me

Done

Personally, I think I'm pretty hard to shock in the humour stakes and some of the jokes me and my mates make amongst each other would definitely be considered tasteless in other circles. It really is all about knowing your audience.

To be honest, I think far too many people take themselves too seriously and a lot of the time, this is the reason why they can't take a joke. Where should you draw the line?

 

[southendstrett]

I don't care what the joke is or what it's about, if I think it's funny I'll laugh.
I think the only reason Little Britain is so popular is because an entire generation was starved of such charactertures. Personally I think it's crap and just a rehash of Dick Emery.
Alf and Marigold going at each other kills me, as did Les Dawson slagging of the mother in law, as does Johnny Knoxville pretending to be a ******.
That's the idea of humour isn't it, to make you laugh? It's not meant to be taken to heart.
I think most people can differentiate between when someone is telling a joke or being genuinely offensive.

 

[pickledseal]

At the end of the day, as long as you know where you are with someone, its on a individual basis.
There are some jokes which I know people would find offensive, but I wouldn't tell them those ones. Most of my mates on the other hand would find them funny.

 

[* ORM *]

Quote[/b] (Hong Kong Blue @ Sep. 18 2006,14:26)]

Quote[/b] (* ORM * @ Sep. 18 2006,14:22)]I actually started typing it out here but it doesn't look as funny on paper.

Since when has that stopped you?

Oy !

 

[SARF]

Little Britain/Dick Emery is an excellent analogy.. I always had Little Britain down as a poor Fast Show.. I'll be using the Dick Emery comparison around the office later when I insigate a conversation about Little Britain, to show off my all round T.v. critic skills.. Its a shame only 15 per cent of my audience will have any clue who the fk Dick Emery is.. some of the graduate tw&ts here haven't even heard of the Sweeney!

 

[* ORM *]

Two Muslim mothers are sitting in a cafe chatting over a pint of goat's
milk. The older of the mothers pulls her bag out and starts
flipping through photos and they start reminiscing.

"This is my oldest son Mohammed. He's 24 years old now."
"Yes, I remember him as a baby," says the other mother cheerfully.
"He's a martyr now, though," mum confides.
"Oh, so sad dear," says the other.

"And this is my second son Kalid. He's 21."
"Oh, I remember him," says the other happily. "He had such curly
hair when he was born."
"He's a martyr, too," says mum quietly.
"Oh gracious me," says the other.

"And this is my third son. My baby. My beautiful Ahmed. He's 18,"
she whispers.
"Yes," says the friend enthusiastically, "I remember when he first
started school."
"He is a martyr, also," says mum, with tears in her eyes.
After a pause and a deep sigh, the second Muslim mother looks wistfully
at the photographs and says.
-
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"They blow up so fast these days, don't they?