Posted on 03/25/2013 7:05:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
If laughter really is the best medicine, it's no wonder race relations are in a state of ill health.
Many years ago I spent quite a bit of time with a Zambian friend. He remarked one day that he found America's hang-up with racial humor a bit strange, as racial jokes were not at all off-limits in his country. And call it my one concession to multiculturalism, but neither were they off-limits in our relationship. We would occasionally engage in innocent racial humor just as we would any other kind of jesting - and no hate-speech charges were contemplated.
The notion that racial humor is inherently damaging is utter nonsense. Whatever the type of humor, it can be innocent or cutting, good-natured or mean-spirited, and the difference is almost always obvious. And this is true of most any kind of expression. Political commentary, music, or art can be used to clarify or confuse, or to enlighten or benight, just as firearms can be used to protect innocent life or take it. It's not the tools, but the intentions of the worker.
And what have we worked ourselves into? If you have a friend who is fat, skinny, blonde, or bald, or has curly locks, or possesses any other notable distinguishing characteristic, it will likely be a source of humor between the two of you (this is especially true among men). Making light of our differences is simply part of normal human interaction - and it is actually a strength. After all, should we be unable to laugh at ourselves?
This brings us to an important point. What kind of person would you not engage in this type of humor with?
A stranger.
Before we're willing to poke even innocent fun at one another, we must have a level of familiarity.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I fall down a manhole......that's drama.
You fall down a manhole....that's funny.
Racist humor so elegantly lends itself to the task.
Blacks can indulge in racial humor. Nobody else, though.
Don rickles would never make it today.
In the USA “racial humor” is a trap. The officially-designated victim can make fun of the “oppressor” class, and in fact may even go so far as to murder a member of the “oppressor” class without any consequences.
But if a member of the “oppressor” class says “watermelon” he loses his job and his reputation.
Not always pain but definitely reality.
Anymore it is racist to even notice that someone is black, it is okay for any other race or ethnicity but not black.
My impression is that one can always make fun of the Irish.
I guess that means they can take it.
But there’s always a fair game group. One wouldn’t see Fr. Guido Sarducci’s portrayer switch out his outfit, racially derogatory nickname and religion. No way. I know it’s an old gag, but making fun of Catholicism is fair game but not many other religions are.
Making fun of dad’s in pop culture and sit coms is rampant and nothing is off limits in the arena. And it’s damaging. A lot of men deserve it for giving in to and taking advantage of the sex without commitment culture that has destroyed our culture. They’ve unwittingly become subservient laughing stocks, shameless and unworthy of respect. the pop culture is not aware of the reasons men are seen as wimps. anyway, there are many men who haven’t . anyway, making fun of them is not helpful.
It’s okay to make fun of any generally successful group.
Tell me who’s offended by this one
Q: Why does Mexico do so poorly in the Olympics?
A: Because every Mexican who can run, jump or swim is already here.
eenie, meenie, miney, mo
“Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.” - Mel Brooks
Q: Why don’t Baptists make love standing up?
A: It can lead to dancing
And if there is ANY HINT that the “oppressor” class doesn’t really oppress or that the “victim” class isn’t really being victimized,
they raise HELL to get the hinter silenced.
There’s power in maintaining the illusion of the “oppressor/victim” context.
Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks did more to neuter the N word than anyone else in history. It was on the way to becoming a playground joke until the civil rights “leaders” turned it into a holy word that cannot be spoken.
“Blacks can indulge in racial humor. Nobody else, though.”
You got that right, ever seen a black comedian? they cant go 30 seconds without mentioning race or cracking on whites, they’re absolutly obsessed with i.
It’s a testimony to the breadth and depth of the dedicated Marxists’ power grabs.
They wanted to clear the decks so that only capitalism-, Christianty-, morality-bashing, etc. jokes could dominate.
Just like they want to clear American history’s heroes and replace them with “social justice” heroes. Or Western Civ with minority studies.
The list is endless.
LOL!
This has started out as a fairly humorless thread.
I wonder where self-deprecating humor falls on the continuum of knee-slappers?
“My impression is that one can always make fun of the Irish.”
Two Irishmen walked out of a bar......It could happen!
Mark Twain’s LIBRARY OF WIT AND HUMOR had quite a few jokes about blacks, Italians, Irish, sailors, ect.
They are still hilarious today.
We need a “like” button on Free Republic. Many times I just want to signify that I like a post without comment.
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