Off Colour Jokes and Why You're a Plebe for Using them

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-23-2013, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwwSugar

Just because you don't do something on purpose, doesn't mean it isn't offensive. And you can never know who in your audience will be affected by a specific joke.

Exactly.

Arya Stark · 07-23-2013, 09:55 AM

If i went to a comedy show and got made fun of, there are a lot of things I wouldn't be bothered by, but there's always something that could be a trigger. I will tend to avoid these shows but so many people have triggers. Since rape is such a strong and prevalent one, why does the joke have to be made at all?

~~Cuthbert~~ · 07-23-2013, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermione

Still missing another point, my sense of humour as as dark as it comes, however I still refer to myself as a tranny prostitute, even though I'm a dominatrix and I have passing privilege because I present hyperfeminine, because not acknowledging the privileges that I have in regards to being a sex worker and being queer makes me just as whorephobic and transphobic.

You shouldn't have to be the butt of the joke, to make the joke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AwwSugar

Just because you don't do something on purpose, doesn't mean it isn't offensive. And you can never know who in your audience will be affected by a specific joke.

Yeah it can still be offensive but so what? People can be offended by anything, I should be able to tell the joke.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-23-2013, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fluffy Kittens

You shouldn't have to be the butt of the joke, to make the joke.
.

Also not what I'm saying
My experience doesn't erase your right to free speech, just like your right to free speech doesn't make you free from criticism and being an *******.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 07-23-2013, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hermione

Also not what I'm saying
My experience doesn't erase your right to free speech, just like your right to free speech doesn't make you free from criticism and being an *******.

Yeah, I agree.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-23-2013, 10:03 AM

Also my example was making other people the butt of the joke, not myself. The example uses the perceptions and prejudices of other people against them, not me.

Mojo · 07-23-2013, 10:19 AM

I don't see it as having the right to do or not do something, but rather being smart about it.

I think, generally speaking, that we should be able to joke about anything. If thats what we're doing. There isnt anything wrong with joking and I think the world would be a miserable place if we didn't joke. Can anyone really say they don't joke at all? I doubt it. So automatically, you have made a personal judgement about what is OK to joke about and what isn't and therefore condemning someone else for making a different judgement just doesn't really seem fair.

It all comes down to where your own line is. I reserve the right to make jokes about rape or whatever I want - I just don't. In my opinion I'm being smart about things and also I'm drawing my own line. I think it's a pretty ****ing stupid and insensitive thing to do, to openly and publically joke about certain things, and I would include rape in that. Sure, I don't think anyone should have the right to censor me, but I also think that I can say with absolute certainty that if I make enough rape jokes, it is only a matter of time before someone takes offence to me or gets upset and for what, my right to make a rape joke? I can live without that.

Circe · 07-23-2013, 11:43 AM

I'm with Mojo on this. If you can intelligently and tactfully make a joke about a tense subject like rape then you should be able to do so. There is a very fine line though. PewDiePie joking about how he "will rape everything" is bad. An actually talented comedian managing to spin together a good joke that involves rape but isn't designed purely at the expense of the victim is fine, although as with any potentially offensive joke you should be sure to consider the situation you're telling it in.

~~Sansa Stark~~ · 07-23-2013, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Circe

I'm with Mojo on this. If you can intelligently and tactfully make a joke about a tense subject like rape then you should be able to do so. There is a very fine line though. PewDiePie joking about how he "will rape everything" is bad. An actually talented comedian managing to spin together a good joke that involves rape but isn't designed purely at the expense of the victim is fine, although as with any potentially offensive joke you should be sure to consider the situation you're telling it in.

Agreed but that fine line needs to be seriously stressed

Wanda Sykes did it well:

However it wouldn't be funny or acceptable to me if Tina Fey made the joke, since Tina Fey is a slut shaming, racist bitch.

FETCHER. · 07-23-2013, 12:18 PM

I wrote a massive post and then clicked previous thread instead of post and lost the whole thing. Gonna kill myself.

07-23-2013, 10:19 AM	#17 (permalink)
Mojo Melancholia Eternally Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: England Posts: 5,018	I don't see it as having the right to do or not do something, but rather being smart about it. I think, generally speaking, that we should be able to joke about anything. If thats what we're doing. There isnt anything wrong with joking and I think the world would be a miserable place if we didn't joke. Can anyone really say they don't joke at all? I doubt it. So automatically, you have made a personal judgement about what is OK to joke about and what isn't and therefore condemning someone else for making a different judgement just doesn't really seem fair. It all comes down to where your own line is. I reserve the right to make jokes about rape or whatever I want - I just don't. In my opinion I'm being smart about things and also I'm drawing my own line. I think it's a pretty ****ing stupid and insensitive thing to do, to openly and publically joke about certain things, and I would include rape in that. Sure, I don't think anyone should have the right to censor me, but I also think that I can say with absolute certainty that if I make enough rape jokes, it is only a matter of time before someone takes offence to me or gets upset and for what, my right to make a rape joke? I can live without that. __________________ Last.FM \| Echoes and Dust

07-23-2013, 10:03 AM	#16 (permalink)
~~Sansa Stark~~ Account Disabled Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Eyrie, Vale of Arryn, Westeros Posts: 3,234	Also my example was making other people the butt of the joke, not myself. The example uses the perceptions and prejudices of other people against them, not me.

07-23-2013, 11:43 AM	#18 (permalink)
Circe Blunt After Blunt After Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: In a French-ass restaurant Posts: 337	I'm with Mojo on this. If you can intelligently and tactfully make a joke about a tense subject like rape then you should be able to do so. There is a very fine line though. PewDiePie joking about how he "will rape everything" is bad. An actually talented comedian managing to spin together a good joke that involves rape but isn't designed purely at the expense of the victim is fine, although as with any potentially offensive joke you should be sure to consider the situation you're telling it in.