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Is this joke Racist?
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It is certainly a 'joke' that reinforces a bad stereotype view of Muslims.
I remember having a very heated argument with my mother in law (unfortunately one Christmas Day after she had had a lot to drink. She is certainly racist - she argued that we should not let any Muslims into our country as we would have lots of terrorism 'you mark my words'. When I pointed out that she was Irish and perhaps we should have sent her back to Ireland when the IRA were bombing people she went red in the face, said I was being stupid and stormed out of the room [I think I won the argument
. My wife had already stormed out of the room in anger at her mum for saying such a racist thing so Christmas Day wasn't great that year.....
What if a muslim person told the joke?
Or the person who told it knew that muslims don't put very good presents in the parcels and there not worth opening?
Another case for the thought police.
🙂
The joke would not be offensive if you said "an Al Quaida birthday party". By saying Muslim you are equating Islam with terrorism which is pretty offensive, really.
It is technically racist. The bigger problem however, is the over the top way in which people respond to this kind of thing. A couple of generations ago, homosexuality was 'wrong' and you could go to prison for it. Now, if you do or say anything against gays, you're the one in trouble. Were we wrong then, or wrong now?
Think for yourself.
agree with both............
Totally. I actually didn't 'get it' until it the comments explained it for me. Maybe that's cause I've got loads of Muslim mates and I wouldn't ever think to automatically equate Islam with terrorism. It's a pretty pathetic joke actually. But with IRA or Al Qaeda substituted it's a bit funnier and not at all offensive.
This might clear up the Islam or Muslim dilemma:
http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-islam-and-muslim/
It's a very bad joke. It is offensive. The fact that you need to ask is astonishing.
Oh the great British public. Sometimes just pretty amazing and lovely. Sometimes depressingly dim.
The most tangled webs we weave are the ones we create when we try to deceive ourselves.
All this "its not racist because Muslims arent a race", "its not bigoted because bigot use to mean something else once", "it doesnt say all Muslims are bombers just the ones at the party" or "the ones playing pass the parcel" Listen to yourselves, can you honestly say your being honest? That your not ignoring the way language is actually used, and meant in light of the prejudices, that anyone who is even half aware of the social and political upheavals since 9/11 that have surfaced should know about? Are you actually sitting there and telling me and others that this joke does not base its humour on these prejudices?
If you find the joke funny say so. If you find the joke funny because you think the idea of muslims fearing their own funny say so. If you think muslims mostly agree with bombing say so. Just dont sit there and wriggle and wiggle.
Its embarrassing.
Personally I think one HAS to respond to shit like this in as strong a way as possible. I don't see a swift and firm reaction as being over-the-top. I think it's just what you have to do in order to show the ingrained bigots that such nonsense is not something that they should think is accepted quietly by everyone.
As for your question about 'gays', I hope you're not actually serious.
Two nuns in the bath ...
"where's the soap?"
"yes, it does, doesn't it!"
Hands up who understands Bruce's post .......
but not as much as the candle !
"Nice tits love. Now where d'you want these blinds?"
...oh sorry, wrong nun joke.
heard Phils before............but not bruces............but yes i get it fraser
Oh no - I'm so dense I need it explaining......what a saddo.
I assume it's filthy in some way. I don't get Phil's either !
So, to the OP.
Will this tangled web of discussion help you win the argument at work tomorrow ?
Is this joke racist? or could it be 'is this joke culturcist?'
How about that film where the main character called his black labrador dog THE 'N' WORD. Is that racist? People will find this reference in the film offensive. Why?
🙂
Well, my black dog ended up being called Sam, short for Sambo. I have fond memories of my granny's old kids books about little black Sambo. And while my non-white friends had a good chuckle at it, I do realise that shouting 'Sambo' in public would be quite likely to make many people think I was a member of the EDF (or whatever the Scottish equivalent is) hence him being known as Sam.
Personally, I think offensive jokes are only acceptable if the humour outweighs the offence. So for subjects extremely likely to cause offence, the joke has to be VERY f**king funny for it to be acceptable. I don't have any problem at all with genuinely funny jokes. Including racist, sexist and paedo priest ones.
But even then, there's context. I'd tell race jokes to non-white friends, cause they know me and they know I don't actually mean it as some sly piece of nastiness. I wouldn't tell the same jokes to people I didn't know, as I wouldn't want to come across as an asshole.
I worked for years as the only female at a big transport company, and I got sick to f**king death of sneaky insults, sly digs and not-so-subtle attempts to belittle and undermine me disguised as 'jokes'. Some people are very good at disguising bullying as 'humour' and are very quick to pull the 'Whoa, I was only joking, what's the matter, can't you take a joke....' any time they're actually called out on their nastiness.
fraser....play on the word where.....replace where with wear and you ask what is wearing the soap away quicker than normal........
phil only gives half the joke so harder for you to understand...you ned to find the right episode of the vicar of dibley...........
doesn't really work in written form does it
Stephen E Forde...agree with your post
Don't muck about Dreamtwister, tell her straight.
🙂
Some people say stupid and offensive things because they do not know any other way to behave than to be stupid and offensive.
Just because Chris Rock might be clever and astute does not mean that every who says offensive things can consider themselves to be clever and astute.
Perhaps the reason nobody calls him a racist! is because he isnt one! And that can be deduced from what he says on the subject.
And it is fair comment to say that some jokes have their roots in comedy, and an effort to be funny. But some jokes have roots in stupidy and an intention to be stupid. Some jokes clearly have an intention only of saying "muslims are bombers!", "Irish are stupid!" and signalling that to like minded people.
Perhaps I didn't express myself quite as well as I could have back there. When I said 'racist and sexist jokes' I should probably have said 'race or gender based jokes' instead. Perhaps that's where I gave the impression that instead of being a boring twat I was actually fucked up big time. LMAO!
Bos1 already said pretty much what I would have said myself, if s/he hadn't got in there first. Intention. And context. I stand by my previous comments.