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

~~butthead aka 216~~ · 10-15-2013, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burning Down

Shouldn't matter. There's still a person on the other end reading what you're saying to them, whether through a forum, IM, reddit, Youtube, whatever. I know the Internet provides a more anonymous environment for this kind of thing, but just look at all the instances of cyber bullying and how tragic some of the cases turned out.

well it does matter i think. i dont even really think its as much an anonymous thing as it is just a more diverse group of ppl. and if ya wanna try to appease everyone youre likely gonna have to sacrifice a lot of humor as a result

~~butthead aka 216~~ · 10-15-2013, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkyard Donner

No, you don't gotta. You're making excuses for ****ty behavior.

nah its just the reality of it. we take things differntly on the net than in real life because its different and theres less surroundin context available

Mondo Bungle · 10-15-2013, 07:12 PM

I for one take everything I read on the internet completely seriously.

Mr. Charlie · 10-15-2013, 07:13 PM

Like anything in life, joking requires a degree of mindfulness. I'm okay with all jokes myself: rape, paedophilia, genocide, whatever, it's all words, and providing the joke teller is simply joking then they can joke about raping my mother for all I care - it's all good, but to joke about cancer in front of someone who has cancer, or joke about rape in front of a rape victim, well... it's likely to cause offense and upset them. And upsetting people is the opposite of what jokes should do.

~~Cuthbert~~ · 10-15-2013, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

Like anything in life, joking requires a degree of mindfulness. I'm okay with all jokes myself: rape, paedophilia, genocide, whatever, it's all words, and providing the joke teller is simply joking then they can joke about raping my mother for all I care - it's all good, but to joke about cancer in front of someone who has cancer, or joke about rape in front of a rape victim, well... it's likely to cause offense and upset them. And upsetting people is the opposite of what jokes should do.

I agree & welcome to the board.

Good post that.

WWWP · 10-15-2013, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mondo Bungle

I for one take everything I read on the internet completely seriously.

It's not a matter of taking things seriously, it's a matter of you not having the right to cause harm - indirectly or otherwise - to another sentient being. Life is hard enough for every human as it is, you shouldn't be willing to contribute to that negative experience for the sake of a joke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Charlie

Like anything in life, joking requires a degree of mindfulness. I'm okay with all jokes myself: rape, paedophilia, genocide, whatever, it's all words, and providing the joke teller is simply joking then they can joke about raping my mother for all I care - it's all good, but to joke about cancer in front of someone who has cancer, or joke about rape in front of a rape victim, well... it's likely to cause offense and upset them. And upsetting people is the opposite of what jokes should do.

Who is the judge of whether the teller is simply joking or not? Who is in charge of monitoring to make sure no one is joking about cancer in front of a cancer sufferer or making a rape joke in front of someone who has been raped? If you are ok hearing jokes about raping your mother then power to you, but you don't get to say that people should be allowed to joke about offensive things just because you are not offended.

~~butthead aka 216~~ · 10-15-2013, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkyard Donner

Who is the judge of whether the teller is simply joking or not?

the person doin the joking?????

Key · 10-15-2013, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engine

Are you saying you throw around faggot and nigger jokes in the break room when you only know some of the people?

Pretty weird, man.

No.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkyard Donner

The reason you should care about offending people is because you're an ******* if you don't. Any ******* can take the "if you're offended that's your problem" road, it takes a conscious effort to not be an ******* and care about the people around you, regardless of whether they are your friend or a perfect stranger.

You don't know the sense of humor of any given person, and that's fine, but you also don't know their life experience. If you can't censor yourself enough to take that into consideration then you're an *******, plain and simple. Offending people is not always a bad thing, but when it directly harms a person or a group of people for the sake of "being funny" then it becomes unacceptable.

I think that the only thing we can do in life is try our best to be a decent person, and if you're making jokes that can potentially traumatize or trigger someone, whether it's intentional or not, then you're not being decent.

Then i'm an *******. Sue me.

Mr. Charlie · 10-15-2013, 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkyard Donner

Who is the judge of whether the teller is simply joking or not? Who is in charge of monitoring to make sure no one is joking about cancer in front of a cancer sufferer or making a rape joke in front of someone who has been raped? If you are ok hearing jokes about raping your mother then power to you, but you don't get to say that people should be allowed to joke about offensive things just because you are not offended.

We're all judges. We hear something, we see something, and we judge it, we judge it based on our sensibilities and our fears and our experiences, and unless we're Buddhist or Taoist or long practisers of Zen, then not judging things we experience is extremely difficult.

I think I could have worded my post a little better but let me be clear - I don't for a second believe I get to say what people should and shouldn't joke about. The point I was trying to make is that if a joke upsets someone, if it leaves them feeling worse, then the joke, in my opinion, has failed. But as you allude to, it's not always easy to gauge what things some people might find offensive. It's a fine line to walk.

Engine · 10-15-2013, 07:58 PM

So you're actually pretty careful in the situations that you described below?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ki

Have you ever sat in a break room at work with people you know pretty well and with people you don't know really well? That's the type of situation i'm talking about.

10-15-2013, 07:13 PM	#154 (permalink)
Mr. Charlie Shoo Thoughts Join Date: Oct 2013 Location: These Mountains Posts: 2,308	Like anything in life, joking requires a degree of mindfulness. I'm okay with all jokes myself: rape, paedophilia, genocide, whatever, it's all words, and providing the joke teller is simply joking then they can joke about raping my mother for all I care - it's all good, but to joke about cancer in front of someone who has cancer, or joke about rape in front of a rape victim, well... it's likely to cause offense and upset them. And upsetting people is the opposite of what jokes should do.