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Old 03-01-11, 12:27 PM  
Lucky Star
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Thanks, Joan. Well put!
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Old 03-01-11, 12:34 PM  
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Originally Posted by JP44 View Post
As a blond (Okay, I'm actually gray but I'm dyed blond), half Polish, part German, part English, part Scottish female in her mid 40s, I think it's best to avoid jokes pertaining to age, appearance, gender & ethnicity.

Humor is not harmless. It's been used for centuries to ridicule, isolate & discriminate against groups of people. Take a common example, the male boss or family member who makes lewd or sexist jokes about women & then says, "What? You can't take a joke??" Okkaaayyy....

Among other ethnic slurs, I despise the word "Polack". Three of my uncles actually changed their surname to hide their Polish descent so they could get jobs during the 30s & 40s. Otherwise, they wouldn't be hired since no one wanted a "dumb Polack" as an employee.

I know every ethnicity has faced discrimination--some far, far worse than others--but that only underscores why making fun of others for ethnicity, etc. is really not appropriate.

Joan
Joan, I think Polack is a disgusting word. I'll never forget a Polish girl in my class crying at a birthday party because one of the other guests thought her Polish joke was hilarious.

My husband's aunt had to reassure an employer in the 60s that her name (Nally) wasn't Irish- only if there was a "Mc" in front. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten the job.

My grandfather, husband and children are all Jewish. Yes, some of the ugliest "humor" there.

And blonde jokes are just stupid ;-)

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Old 03-01-11, 12:43 PM  
Kathryn
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Originally Posted by Lucky Star View Post
My original point was not just the dumbness and potential offensiveness of the mock-English, but the fact that (as far as I'm aware) the joke didn't start out that way. For years I've seen it and been emailed it in standard English grammar. It just seems odd and, yes, tasteless that someone would think to rewrite the whole thing in 'broken' English, and why? To add to the humor by making fun of Chinese-accented doctors? Nah, I don't get it.
That was my reaction as well.
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Old 03-01-11, 12:44 PM  
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It seems many people live sheltered lives. The English tell jokes about the Irish, the Australians tell jokes about the English, all of them tell jokes about French and Germans.

What I don't understand is why certain groups are protected. You can't tell jokes about Muslims, for example, but you can about Catholics.

I just watched the first twelve episodes on DVD of Dave Chappelle's Comedy Central show. I highly recommend that "sensitive" folks steer clear!

The best way around political correctness is for each ethnic group to only tell jokes about their own ethnic group. That way no one can object. Oh, I forgot. Only men can tell jokes about men and vice versa.
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Old 03-01-11, 12:47 PM  
dnk
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Originally Posted by videofit View Post
It seems many people live sheltered lives. The English tell jokes about the Irish, the Australians tell jokes about the English, all of them tell jokes about French and Germans.

What I don't understand is why certain groups are protected. You can't tell jokes about Muslims, for example, but you can about Catholics.

I just watched the first twelve episodes on DVD of Dave Chappelle's Comedy Central show. I highly recommend that "sensitive" folks steer clear!

The best way around political correctness is for each ethnic group to only tell jokes about their own ethnic group. That way no one can object. Oh, I forgot. Only men can tell jokes about men and vice versa.
You can't tell jokes about Muslims? Really? Because I've heard and read a bunch. Haven't heard too many about Catholics recently, but I've heard those too.

Maybe we have a different definition of sheltered....

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Old 03-01-11, 12:49 PM  
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Originally Posted by JP44 View Post
As a blond, half Polish, part English, part Scottish female, I think it's best to avoid jokes pertaining to age, appearance, gender & ethnicity.

I despise the word "Polack".
Well I am all of the above and the word Polack doesn't offend me because I consider myself American and not Polish. I even laugh at American jokes my foreign friends tell. I appreciate a well crafted, funny joke. I loved the films Borat and Bruno!
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Old 03-01-11, 12:51 PM  
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You can't tell jokes about Muslims? Really? Because I've heard and read a bunch. Haven't heard too many about Catholics recently, but I've heard those too.
Hmmm, I haven't heard of Catholics issuing a fatwa on anyone who tells Catholic jokes.
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Old 03-01-11, 12:55 PM  
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Hmmm, I haven't heard of Catholics issuing a fatwa on anyone who tells Catholic jokes.
Shockingly, people have managed anyway.

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Old 03-01-11, 01:05 PM  
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Originally Posted by videofit View Post
It seems many people live sheltered lives.
What does that have to do with anything? We're all aware ethnic humor is widespread. Are you implying that the people who understand that it can be offensive are narrow-minded?

Because something happens all over the world and on the comedy network doesn't mean its inappropriateness in THIS instance should not be pointed out.
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Old 03-01-11, 01:10 PM  
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Originally Posted by Lucky Star View Post
My original point was not just the dumbness and potential offensiveness of the mock-English, but the fact that (as far as I'm aware) the joke didn't start out that way. For years I've seen it and been emailed it in standard English grammar. It just seems odd and, yes, tasteless that someone would think to rewrite the whole thing in 'broken' English, and why? To add to the humor by making fun of Chinese-accented doctors? Nah, I don't get it.

Exactly - and it was actually funnier in standard English.
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