How To Handle A Racist Joke

[YOUTUBE]Bg1aTLsS69Y[/YOUTUBE]

here you go

 

I'm not black so can't relate, but people have made jokes about my sexuality before - not in a malicious manner - and they don't bother me. To me, the intent behind a joke is what matters more than anything - and I'm pretty good at deciphering what's actually a joke, and what's being said to be hurtful.

 

I'm not into discrimination of any kind. I love the silent treatment it works well

 

Hmmmm

For me it's all down to how you define a joke as racist, and more importantly whether or not the joke is funny..

There's alot of grey area between 'offensive' humor, and a bad joke made in poor taste.

 

The difference is that jokes about homosexuality rely on social stigma. Joking about femininity, same-sex couples, anal sex, etc, is only offensive to LGBTQ if we internal the shame that society creates around those topics. These jokes can absolutely have negative effect, but they are not fundamentally dehumanizing as people make jokes about all forms of sexuality. The offensive lies within whether that specific act or form of sexuality carries social stigma.

Racist jokes are often very different. Jokes about Black people being apes and criminals. Jokes mocking immigrants who struggle to speak English. Jokes about Middle Eastern people being terrorists or mocking their dress or religious beliefs. These are not jokes about realities that also happen to carry social stigma. These are jokes that are inherently dehumanizing as they are painting certain races are caricatures or even sometimes literally inhuman.

If you embrace your sexuality, then even comments that are meant to be insulting carry little power because you don't personally associate shame with what you do with your partner or who you are as a person that some of society might hold. The same cannot be said about jokes referring to transwomen as men in dresses or jokes that paint members of certain races as subhuman or worth of mockery based on stereotypes that paint them as uneducated, aggressive, animalistic.

 

I apologize for my ignorance but joking about a black guy's genitalia comes across as racist? I mean I seen gay guys joking about large cocks all the time and just never saw it as offensive. Not trying to say it is not but something i did know because i never saw it personally as racist. I guess I am guilty when it comes to racist jokes or jokes in general. My dad is not a racist or a bigot but when it comes to jokes there is no line with them on a lot of things. I respect his humor and just see it as humor but that is just me.

 

"What's black, white, and red all over?

Your ass, after I beat it, if you tell me another heinous joke like that again."

Seems to work.

 

^^^ Best response.

 

Well, that's obviously very insulting, but would making a joke insinuating a black guy has a large penis be deemed offensive in the same manner? It's not really a negative stereotype - though I can understand why it might make someone uncomfortable.

 

I've rarely run across many that aren't malicious if they are a jab right at a LGBT person or black person. I don't like the snide remarks from someone who doesn't know me and figures something from doing the math. If the joke is about something more general, then it's not such a big deal to me. Like the joke about "Did you hear some gay guys broke into someone's apartment?" "They rearranged the place by the time the owner got back."

 

That's what I'm talking about. When I first came out, I think some of people tried to show they were okay with my sexuality by making jokes similar to that. My mother proclaimed her shock that a gay man could be so messy and untidy - but then stated that my obsession with buying clothes & shoes makes a lot of sense now.

If someone said something like 'Oh you're gay, you probably have a lot of STDs then! Bet you get around a lot!', I'd be pretty insulted.

 

Good one. I don't think it's offensive but I could see where it would make someone uncomfortable.

World map of The Penis Size Worldwide (country) by Country - TargetMap

Those on the Imperial measure can divide by 2.54 to convert to inches. In some cases, we're dealing with numbers that don't lie. Happy relocation ... to some.

---------- Post added 28th Jul 2015 at 04:14 PM ----------

Right, but then, for those whose sexuality is unknown and the person is a practically a stranger, I didn't care for when that dental hygienist bitch who I actually liked for about 2 years then suddenly testily goes off on me with "Are you going to Keyyyy Wessssttttt?" when I told her I was going on vacation to South Florida shortly after that appointment. Had the dentist not been a good one, I would have told her what I thought in a not so nice way. I KNOW I've told this story before. That was clearly a put down.

 

When people joke about penis size it's often to mask their own insecurities or feelings of inadequacy. Worth remembering that.

 

Only the people your making jokes about could tell you whether it's okay or not, also if your in the ingroup!

 

Thanks for sharing this video C: I really cringe so much when someone makes a racist/homophobic/sexist joke and I usually handle it with the silent treatment and ignore it or say something like: "I don't get it. Why is it funny?" so that the other person has to explain it and there's no way that they can without it sounding really offensive.

Agreed, there are varying degrees on what's offensive but jokes involving minorities of any kind usually rely on stereotyping a whole group of individuals which I feel really uncomfortable with, and don't agree with.

 

I do this too. I ask them to explain the joke, and when they explain it, they finally realize how much of a jerk they're being.

 

It would definitely vary based on the person. Most race jokes are based in extremely negative stereotypes, but not necessarily all of them. In regards to that specific example, if we are dealing with a quick joke that is coming from a platonic type of dynamic than few would likely consider it racist. There is, however, a degree at which it crosses general respect lines. Ultimately, you're kind of skating the line with it comes to sexual jokes that involve race.

 

Hello, black guy here(!), I personally like race jokes.. I guess it's because I've a huge diversity of acquaintances and close friends who are different crayola colors.. teehee crayon jokes :-3, but yeah, and this is just my opinion, but there are areas you shouldn't really talk about when telling jokes... and that's why I love that shiz XD, nowadays everything is so serious, comedians, jokesters can cross that line because it's funny. Telling jokes are breaking down walls and putting puns and silliness on negative things and making people laugh. But there is seriously a difference between joking to put someone down and good hearted joking. And about the genitalia joke.. I gotta ageee with patuk, they're probably masking their own insecurities.
Its penaut butter jelly time!!! Ok.. now that's out of my system. Lolz