Political Correctness

[Wildcat]

That was funny.

 

I don't think it was particularly funny, but nor do I think it was particularly offensive. He tells much worse jokes.

 

Otherwise I agree with Mister M. Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais just aren't particularly funny.

 

David Brent was funny, because of the character he played the problem is Ricky Gervais is that character.

[discodown]

That was funny.

and true as well

[discodown]

I think there's a huge difference between making a joke about a specific child and joking about the condition generally.

 

It's a fine line, but regarding the latter, I think it is certainly possible for such material to be acceptable in the right context, as people such as Jimmy Carr and Ricky Gervais have demonstrated.

Spot on.

 

Why shouldn't we make jokes about peoples differences? It depends on the context and the intent of course but people get far too offended unnecessarily for other people where there may not need to.

 

It is cruel and unnecessary to joke about Jordans disabled child as that isn't a generic statement about a disability, its laying the boot in on someone who is defenceless and can't help his condition or his mother. But making jokes about - for instance - autism shouldn't be an issue

[Wildcat]

Spot on.

 

Why shouldn't we make jokes about peoples differences? It depends on the context and the intent of course but people get far too offended unnecessarily for other people where there may not need to.

 

It is cruel and unnecessary to joke about Jordans disabled child as that isn't a generic statement about a disability, its laying the boot in on someone who is defenceless and can't help his condition or his mother. But making jokes about - for instance - autism shouldn't be an issue

 

Why is it wrong to make a joke about a defenceless individual but it is ok to make a joke about millions of defenceless individuals? If anything surely it makes it worse?

[discodown]

Why is it wrong to make a joke about a defenceless individual but it is ok to make a joke about millions of defenceless individuals? If anything surely it makes it worse?

Because making jokes about a single person could be construed as bullying especially if that one person is unable to defend themself.

 

Making jokes about the traits or conditions of millions of defenceless individuals shows an underlying acceptance and understanding of the particular issue.

 

However we still need to determine the intent to understand why the jokes are made.

[ricgem2002]

Do you think it is funny to make jokes about autistic children?

i find jokes about anything that causes me to laugh funny you need to lighten up mate and get a life

[Wildcat]

Because for the most part people do not set out to be offensive.

As in my above example, I mean no offence to the child, quite the opposite, I encourage him to laugh at the offence that others would see from such jokes.

 

And secondly, they don't dismiss the offence caused by the so called insults, before pc came about, such insults would not have been deemed insulting, and would have been dismissed without a thought.

Nowadays, it gives pc people a (maybe excuse is also the wrong word) reason to find offence where there once was no insult.

If you know what I mean, I know what I mean.

 

Are you really saying people weren't offended by derogatory language before PC?

 

Offensive language has always caused offence. That is the whole point of using offensive language.

 

Another example, you get people that claim to be pc, yet when you say things like, I'm hard of hearing, they don't hesitate to cup their ears and say "eh". Also if you make them repeat themselves they'll respond with something like "are you deaf", when you might just well be, without a second thought about if you are or not prior to the impatience.

 

And I don't think all pc people are like this, I did say "for the most part".

It gets a little ott though when nursery rhymes are re-written to be more pc, when the target market cannot distinguish the difference between A and B never mind P and C.

 

You mean like all the different varieties of Little Robin Redbreast, to appease the sensibilities of the Victorians?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Robin_Redbreast

 

Or a more modern revisionist interpretations like When Jack Sued Jill?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Jack-Sued-Jill-Nursery/dp/0091912563

[Wildcat]

Because making jokes about a single person could be construed as bullying especially if that one person is unable to defend themself.

 

Making jokes about the traits or conditions of millions of defenceless individuals shows an underlying acceptance and understanding of the particular issue.

 

However we still need to determine the intent to understand why the jokes are made.

 

I think intent is the point.

 

Making a joke to create acceptance and understanding whether of an individual or group is fine.

 

Making a joke to isolate, dehumanise or denigrate an individual or group however is something different.

[discodown]

I think intent is the point.

 

Making a joke to create acceptance and understanding whether of an individual or group is fine.

 

Making a joke to isolate, dehumanise or denigrate an individual or group however is something different.

agreed, which is why I don't object to jokes about autism when I have an autistic child. Pick directly on my autistic child in a way that I think is meant to denigrate him and we will be having a severe "chat".

 

Intent is all

[mojoworking]

Spot on.

 

Why shouldn't we make jokes about peoples differences? It depends on the context and the intent of course but people get far too offended unnecessarily for other people where there may not need to.

 

It is cruel and unnecessary to joke about Jordans disabled child as that isn't a generic statement about a disability, its laying the boot in on someone who is defenceless and can't help his condition or his mother. But making jokes about - for instance - autism shouldn't be an issue

 

I agree. It's always puzzled me why it's seemingly OK to make endless jokes about fat people or people with red hair for example, but other physical traits or ailments are out of bounds.

 

Conversely, I've never been comfortable with all the hurtful jokes about Heather Mills McCartney's disability. She may well be all the things people say about her (annoying, pushy etc), but when did that give us the green light to joke about her disability ad nauseam?