What do a Puerto Rican and a cue ball have in common?

Got your attention? Good. This is a thread that deals with a subject I have been wanting to ask about but put off because of worries that some might take it the wrong way and become offended. The subject is something that permeates practically every aspect of life, yet most are afraid to really speak on the subject.

I'm talking about a form of "racism" known to some as ethnic humor. I put racism in quotes because I'm not really sure if ethnic humor really constitutes as racism. We've all heard Pollock jokes, black jokes, Hispanic jokes etc., etc., but are these jokes truly offensive?

Someone once said if you can't laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? And in my mind, the human race, as a whole, has got to be the funniest damn thing under the sun. Look at us...all shapes, sizes, habits, fears and on and on. Face it, we're funny. And part of humor is pointing out and making light of those things.

Don't misunderstand me, I'm not a racist. If I feel the need to dislike someone, it's based on the person's attitude and personality, not their skin color, religion and such. But come on, who can honestly say that they've never laughed at some sort of ethnic joke? And I understand that yes, it CAN be used as a mean-spirited and bigoted thing. But I've worked with and known people from many different backgrounds and countries and they've always had a sense of humor about themselves.

So who is it really who's offended by such things? PC people who have nothing better to do than act like they're making the world a better place? Or the people who think they can't laugh at such things because it makes them a "bad person"? Or the actual people who are the butt of the jokes? This whole subject is something I've often wondered about and would appreciate any open-minded and intelligent feedback on the subject from all members who read this.

Again, this is not meant to incite flames or piss anyone off. This thread is meant as an open and insightful dialogue into a subject most people seem to fear discussing. And please be honest in your opinions. Say what you believe, not what you think others want you to believe.

And by the way, for those who don't know the answer to the question in the title of this thread, I'll post it below, not to be hateful, but to poke fun at a typical sterotype in the hopes of making someone smile. If you're gonna get mad and complain, then don't scroll down for the answer.
























































Ready? The answer is "The harder you hit them, the more English you get out of them".

Good joke Slacker ol pal.

As for your query...I go by one motto on that...
There is nothing above making fun of, as long as its just fun and not meant to hurt.

After all....as awful as it is, I heard a Steve Irwin joke recently...and laughed.
I wont repeat it, but I thought it was funny.

Rob

I have no problem enjoying ethnic jokes when I think that the joke-teller's intention is to be humorous. I object to them when I believe that the joke-teller wants to reinforce and/or spread bigotry.

I think for me it depends on the joke and who's telling it. If it's someone I know is racist I get sickened. And some jokes are just obviously meant to offend.

I'm more fond of the comedy stylings of folks like Steve Hofstetter. He finds a way to make a joke about different groups without going for cheap stereotypes.

There's all kinds of people who are offended by jokes. It's so funny to me when Black people laugh hilariously at black comedians who make fun of black people, but when a comedian who isn't black does it, they get all offended. That is such a double standard, and really stupid to me.
Personally, I love Dave Chappelle-style humor. I love the humor that's meant to be offensive. Slacker's right, if we can't laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at? People really need to lighten up. I've been called racist a few times simply because people often don't know how to take me. I make fun of my ethinicity all the time, often at my own expense. I don't care, that's just my personality. I mean, I'm black! It's not like I just woke up one morning and turned this way.

Interesting thread, Slack!

--T

milagros317 said:

I have no problem enjoying ethnic jokes when I think that the joke-teller's intention is to be humorous. I object to them when I believe that the joke-teller wants to reinforce and/or spread bigotry.

Click to expand...

This is pretty much how I feel.

There are a couple of ethnic jokes that are so cute and so stupid that they've been keeping me in stitches for years. Silly, nonsensical things. And then, there are other ones that really reflect on the cretin telling them...

Well, it's been about a year since I've posted anything to this forum, so what better way to jump back in that to reply to a thread discussing the humor of ethnic and racial jokes. 😉

I agree that these types of jokes can in certain cases be funny, even if I would not want everyone to know that I find them funny. As long as the jokes are good-natured and not told in a context in which they could possibly be offensive, I don't see the big deal. To me, it all has to do with who is telling the joke, when they're telling it, and why. I'll admit that even the most vicious and depraved racial jokes can be funny to me under the right circumstances simply because they effectively point out the underlying absurdity responsible for the joke in the first place. I mean, just watch any South Park episode.

Wow, I'm glad to see the responses this thread has gotten. And positive ones, no less. I'm glad to see we can have a discussion on such a topic without someone going apeshit about it.

It seems that I was correct in thinking that everyone gets a laugh from such humor, but it still leaves the question of who is it that finds such humor so offensive they actually made it a somewhat taboo subject?

From Avenue Q (best musical ever!):

Ethinic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because they're based on truth.
Don't take them as personal attacks.
Everyone enjoys them,
So RELAX!

Me, I think funny is funny, and ethnic jokes can be funny. I also think the "based on truth" part is important, or at least based on stereotype. A good ethnic joke isn't just some hateful statement attached to whatever ethnic group the speaker doesn't like. Similarly, I don't like hearing ethnic jokes that simply aren't funny - even though humor is subjective, some jokes really just don't have it. And hearing that kind of joke told suggests to me that the speaker doesn't have any reason to tell the joke except for genuine hate, and that's not cool.