Quote:
Originally Posted by Pedestrian
You should also factor the odds of offending your audience, and weigh them. F.ex: You're telling a rude joke about jews:
1) Your audience includes 0 jews: Tell the joke.
2) Your audience includes 1 jew, but their sense of humour aligns with your joke: Tell the joke.
3) Your audience is entirely jewish, but only one or two of them may be offended: Tell the joke.
4) Your audience includes a number of jewish people, and you have no idea how they might take it: Shut the hell up.
5) Your audience includes a number of Jewish people, and you can predict they won't appreciate it: Shut the hell up.
If tasteful behaviour isn't common sense, then it's a matter of respecting your audience.
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Sometimes, if not most times, those who take the most offense are people who aren't even targeted. Some white people I know get offended when I refer to black people as black. All of my black friends prefer to be called black. In fact, I believe almost every study on said issue has concluded with an overwhelming majority preferring the term.
This is where it becomes difficult to predict a reaction.