Is everywhere.
Isn’t it odd? This forum tolerates racist jokes about the Irish (despite having it pointed out in that other thread that “really guys? It’s the 21st century”), yet cannot, seemingly, abide jokes that ridicule the English.
I’m not sure racist jokes are tolerated here. Certainly the most recent jokes about the Irish that appeared have been removed (If I missed any please flag up).
However, with regard to the jokes thread in general, it’s sometimes a very difficult one to police, due to many factors including cultural differences, diversity etc… so I have asked in the past that the membership decide what’s appropriate or not. Any joke that anyone finds offensive they flag and I review, and in most cases will remove.
My general experience of the English is that they’re usually pretty tolerant of having their leg pulled, and indeed are usually best at doing it themselves to themselves. I’m sure there are exceptions though.
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IMO for a joke to be racist it has to be about race, not religion or nationality (neither of which can determine a race). There is probably a better word to describe what you are trying to say.
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It’s a tough one. There are religions that define themselves as race. Simpler to just say, please try and see the funny side guys but if you’re offended it’ll get removed.
No secret that comedians these days are quitting because everyone is so sensitive. Most jokes that are funny cut close to the bone and cross a line. Regardless of how we feel, it probably isn’t for us to tell others how they should feel about a joke even if we think they are dead wrong. If they’re upset, they’re upset and that’s their right.
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If one can laugh at oneself, all is good. Being of English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Maori descent I tend to laugh plenty. Life could be worse.
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Indeed, freedom of speech does and must never not one should not be offended… that way we would head back to the 1930s, however freedom of speech does not give the freedoms to incite hatred or violence … but does provide freedoms to give and take offence.
Many philosophers categorise humour into three main categories; Relief theory, Superiority theory and Incongruous Juxtaposition theory…
In all of these traits there is often a concept of someone or some group who has ended worse off than others, or has allowed something farcical to happen… it’s what makes it humorous.
We just need to make sure political correctness doesn’t kill freedom of speech and being human…
So how do you judge what is a tease, and what is inciting hatred, usually it’s an obvious human assessment … It’s not something an algorithm can do… hence Richard has it spot on, if the community at large finds in unfunny and vindictive, then it sounds like it is removed.
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Ironic isn’t it that in this day and age the assumption is that everyone into Hi-Fi is a man
See it all the time on this forum - hey guys/hey chaps.
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I’ve got a fairly warped sense of humour and certainly wouldn’t consider myself very ‘pc’ but being Irish I do find the Paddy jokes a little grating & tiresome, I’m never particularly offended as such but they do smack of a sort of old school and hugely out dated schoolboy prejudice, I guess it’s a generational thing but people need to move on
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There are jokes about race, and racist jokes. They’re different things - racist “jokes” aren’t really jokes at all, just a way for racists to express their prejudices. A joke around genuine cultural traits, such as the British way of queuing, posh accents etc. are fine with me, but jokes that portray the Irish as thick and stupid, or Scotsmen as tight-fisted, are unnecessary and inaccurate. You can often make the classic “Englishman, Scotsman, Irishman” joke funny by just calling the characters Bob, Charlie, Fred (apologies to any Bobs etc…)
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Here’s a test for racial stereotype “jokes.” Substitute black for Irish, or Jewish for Scottish. If that’s not funny (and it probably won’t be), don’t share it.
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Some say race is a social construct, whilst others argue it is a set of biological traits.
I say treat everyone and everything with respect, and should not go far wrong … unless …
Actually, I thinks ‘guys’ is a collective term used for both males and females now, especially in the states…I believe.
And I do use the term ‘chaps’ to refer to both male and female, although I understand that, from an historic perspective, this is wrong. Sometimes I use the term chapesses, but this is a made up term and just confuses people…
Whilst at University, some lesbian friends refused to be acknowledged by the term female, because of the ‘male’ component of the word, nightmare really.
Now I don’t care, your all chaps. 
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Nothing is out of bounds for comedy. It’s not subject matter that makes certain comedy offensive, it’s the intent of both the joke and the comedian. In order to work with sensitive subjects that have the potential to cause offence, the comedian has to be highly skilled. In my own highly subjective view, the likes of Peter Cook could, and Steve Coogan and Chris Morris can, work with race in a manner that isolates specific cultural traits that, within the context of the joke, can be very funny.
Take for example the most recent Alan Partridge series. In the last episode a stereotypical Irish farmer (played by Coogan) was invited on the show to be patronised by Partridge. However, he ended up singing Irish rebel songs on live TV, to Partridge’s hapless mortification. The humour did not lie in the exaggerated ‘Oirishness’ but the fact that Partridge’s conceit had, yet again, backfired and sunk his big chance at a comeback on national TV.
The joke was not intended to belittle, wound or insult the Irish but used as a vehicle to highlight the unbearably smarmy Partridge’s lack of judgement and ineptitude as an anchor. Compare this to the likes of Jim Davidson or Manning whingeing that ‘political correctness’ had made it impossible for them to continue on TV telling racist, sexist and homophobic jokes, whose purpose was to reinforce stereotypes, belittle and deliberately insult the targets of those jokes.
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There is also the South Park method of comedy. Insult and abuse every single group on the planet in the most offensive way possible but get away with it because you left absolutely no one out, including themselves.
Most of their jokes in isolation would have people up in arms or get them taken off the air. But the collective “we’ve made cruel jokes at everyone’s expense” method works marvellously well. And it has this added bonus that in order to get the laughs, the viewer is forced to sit through jokes also made at their own expense. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but the method of avoiding censorship is brilliant.
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Yes that’s also the Private Eye modus operandi, take the piss out of everybody and everything equally (disclaimer, I am a PE subscriber and find at least 90% hilarious). Overall though it doesn’t work for me, because in order for satire to work most effectively it needs to be selective in its targeting and predominantly aimed at the rich and powerful. It’s not an even playing field.
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On this note, I’m looking forward to the return of ‘spitting image’.
I would love to see something like a series of “Spitting Image at the UN”. But alas, it would probably be banned or start a war.
But it is funny just thinking about the political correctness and woke shattering possibilities.
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I’d certainly not be that happy about being referred to as a fe or a wo!
On the other hand I find female and woman perfect acceptable!
We don’t like to make it too easy for you: there has to be something to compensate for ‘male privilege’.
I did read something written by a woman who, a little way into adult life realised that, in reality, she was lesbian…
I never felt at all sorry for men until I started dating women. Men are easy; you feed them, you f*ck them and you tell them they’re doing great. With women you never quite know what they’re going to want from one day to the next.
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