Racial Vs Racist

[torker]

What's the line that separates racial humor from racist humor? I'm confused.

[A.J.]

I wish we could ask Negrodamus.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/weto27/untitled.jpg

[cupcakelove]

Ron said it best, it depends on if its funny or not.

[EliSnow]

Ron said it best, it depends on if its funny or not.

While I think he's right to a certain extent, I think it's a very very thin line that probably moves all the time.

[mikeyboy]

I prefer the "sexy vs. sexist" debate from Spinal Tap.

[cupcakelove]

While I think he's right to a certain extent, I think it's a very very thin line that probably moves all the time.

I'm not sure that a line even exists, its probably all racist, but people seem more willing to accept it if you can make them laugh.

[TheMojoPin]

I always looked at it like this...if it pisses off way more people than it "entertains," it's racist. If does the oppposite, it's racist.

It seems to be a pretty fine line.

Me, I prefer "good or no good."

[cupcakelove]

I always looked at it like this...if it pisses off way more people than it "entertains," it's racist. If does the oppposite, it's racist.

It seems to be a pretty fine line.

Me, I prefer "good or no good."

Giving a baby a lolly pop?

[MrPink]

Giving a baby a lolly pop?

Good

Giving a baby AIDS?

[cupcakelove]

Good

Giving a baby AIDS?

No good.

Throwing a baby from a moving vehicle?

[TheMojoPin]

No good.

Throwing a baby from a moving vehicle?

Into a boiling pot for baby stew?

SO GOOD.

[crb1]

I think it actually depends on the audience. Some people may find a racial joke funny, and others may see it as a racist masking his real beliefs with an attempt at humor.

The lesson here is, if you want to make any racial, or other potentially offensive jokes, you better know who you're talking too (and who they may tell).

[crb1]

No good.

Throwing a baby from a moving vehicle?

How many replies are we from this thread turning into a list of "dead baby" jokes?

[J.Clints]

The only thing that seperates it is are you black or white. That is the one and only thing.

[badorties]

The only thing that seperates it is are you black or white. That is the one and only thing.

it's context ...

[sailor]

I always looked at it like this...if it pisses off way more people than it "entertains," it's racist. If does the oppposite, it's racist.

It seems to be a pretty fine line.

Me, I prefer "good or no good."

you said racist for both. am i to assume the 2nd was supposed to be racial?

[johnniewalker]

I think it actually depends on the audience. Some people may find a racial joke funny, and others may see it as a racist masking his real beliefs with an attempt at humor.

The lesson here is, if you want to make any racial, or other potentially offensive jokes, you better know who you're talking too (and who they may tell).

I think that's exactly true. Being racist has turned into a characteristic of a person instead of describing an exchange. Why apologize for something you can't change? That's why Imus got fired. That person turns into a mindless idiot who no one listens to. That's not dangerous at all.

[TheMojoPin]

you said racist for both. am i to assume the 2nd was supposed to be racial?

Whoops. Yes.

[King Hippos Bandaid]

I think Racial is Satire with a Hint of Mean



Racist is Hurtful and promotes hate

:king:

[A.J.]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Seinfeld_s8e16.jpg/200px-Seinfeld_s8e16.jpg

JERRY
Should've talked to her; I love Chinese women.
ELAINE
Isn't that a little racist?
JERRY
If I like their race, how can that be racist?

[Tenbatsuzen]

Here's the difference:

Making a racial remark is not the same as being a racist.

Being a racist means you unilaterally hate a race of people.

Being prejudiced means you dislike a person because the color of their skin, but you are pre-judging them. There's one difference.

Making a racial remark means you're being insensitive, but you aren't a racist.

[Snacks]

Here's the difference:

Making a racial remark is not the same as being a racist.

Being a racist means you unilaterally hate a race of people.

Being prejudiced means you dislike a person because the color of their skin, but you are pre-judging them. There's one difference.

Making a racial remark means you're being insensitive, but you aren't a racist.

good way to put it. I say a racial slur doesnt make you a racist. If it did everyone in the world would be considered a racist b/c we are all guilty of saying something racist at one time.

[Fat_Sunny]

This Definition Has Always Perplexed Fat. Is It Racist To Say Something That Is True: "As A Group, Asian Children Do Much Better In School Than Black Children."

Is That A Racist Comment, Or Does It Depend On The Context In Which It Is Said, Or Can There Be Comments Involving Race That Just Are Not Racist At All?

How About A Pure Compliment: "As A Group, Blacks Are Better At Organized Sports Than Whites Are". Is That Racist Against Blacks, Or Whites, Or Both Or Neither?

People Use The Term "Racist" In All Kinds Of Situations Where It Makes No Sense. Maybe We Should Ban The Word For A Year And See If Life Improves.

[Fez4PrezN2008]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cb/Seinfeld_s8e16.jpg/200px-Seinfeld_s8e16.jpg

JERRY
Should've talked to her; I love Chinese women.
ELAINE
Isn't that a little racist?
JERRY
If I like their race, how can that be racist?


"I'm dating an Asian woman, she's VERY Asian.... she's a panda" - J.Gaffagan.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/JBphotojunk/pandaagh.jpg

[PapaBear]

To me, it depends on the intent. It's usually pretty obvious if it's intended to racist.

[Swannee]

To me, it depends on the intent. It's usually pretty obvious if it's intended to racist.

That is it exactly, it is not how the joke is received but how it is given, because all jokes will offend

[KnoxHarrington]

Here's the thing: there are a few slight differences between the races. You might have noticed. Anyway, I don't think pointing those out is in and of itself racist, unless the intent is to assert the supremacy of one race over the other. That is, if the joke is meant to put someone down or "in their place."

That's the line the Imus joke (which he should not have been fired for, but some punishment was appropriate) crossed to me: it was a mean-spirited joke that was indeed meant, as far as I'm concerned, to belittle and demean the Rutgers basketball player. Now, the coach of the Rutgers team has acted like a total attention whore (ho?) through all this, over dramatizing what happened, overstating the impact and harm of it, in order to get some free recruiting buzz. But what she's said is true at bottom. The joke has nothing to do with anything that they did, or any way they acted; it has to do with who they are.

Anyway, I hope that some point gets pulled out of my rambling here.

[SinA]

it's all in the timing and delivery.
and the audience has to be white.

[Bulldogcakes]

The only thing that seperates it is are you black or white. That is the one and only thing.

That, and can you take a joke when its directed at you.

I grew up with "If you want to dish it out, you got to take it". So either we all take the cork out of our collective asses, or the only comedy left on the airwaves will be the ultra-safe kind (and therefore, not very funny). You know, the guy your Grandma likes and wants you to sit there and watch with her. That guy.

[TheMojoPin]

That, and can you take a joke when its directed at you.

I grew up with "If you want to dish it out, you got to take it". So either we all take the cork out of our collective asses, or the only comedy left on the airwaves will be the ultra-safe kind (and therefore, not very funny). You know, the guy your Grandma likes and wants you to sit there and watch with her. That guy.

You keep tossing this out like getting racial/racist/whatever is somehow essential to being funny or having a decent radio show. I don't want anything to be "ultra-safe," but let's not pretend that this shit is somehow necessary for people to be funny.

[Bulldogcakes]

You keep tossing this out like getting racial/racist/whatever is somehow essential to being funny or having a decent radio show. I don't want anything to be "ultra-safe," but let's not pretend that this shit is somehow necessary for people to be funny.

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2006/04/25/rock_chris_cp_4908228.jpg

http://www.djay.ca/Celebrity%20Images%20Web/Dave%20Chappelle.jpg

Only for the guys who are two of the funniest and most popular comedians on the planet. And Richard Pryor is a legend, and you know his 70's stuff. Yeah, not necessary.

BTW-Why does it have to be necessary? How about a little artistic freedom to do whatever topics you do best?

[badmonkey]

You keep tossing this out like getting racial/racist/whatever is somehow essential to being funny or having a decent radio show. I don't want anything to be "ultra-safe," but let's not pretend that this shit is somehow necessary for people to be funny.

I agree with you 100%. If all somebody has for their radio show is racial humor, then they're probably in the wrong business anyway. There really is no reason for it at all and there's plenty of other shit to talk about.


Badmonkey

[TheMojoPin]

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/images/arts/photos/2006/04/25/rock_chris_cp_4908228.jpg

http://www.djay.ca/Celebrity%20Images%20Web/Dave%20Chappelle.jpg

Only for the guys who are two of the funniest and most popular comedians on the planet. And Richard Pryor is a legend, and you know his 70's stuff. Yeah, not necessary.

BTW-Why does it have to be necessary? How about a little artistic freedom to do whatever topics you do best?

What makes the comics listed great is that not all of their humor is not hinged on any one thing, race included. Is it the crux of a lot of their best bits? Damn right. And there are plenty of white and other non-black comics who do race-related material that kills. Again, it comes down to context. Imus doesn't do a "comedy show" anymore. He hasn't for a long time. He's presented himself primarily as a political commentator with a politically focused show in spite of his "shock jock" past...dropping the racial stuff is going to be seen in a much different light and get a lot more negative attention, especially coming from someone with a negative history of saying some really ugly racist/racial things on the air.

Did he say something truly horrible? In my opinion, no. Did he needed to be fired? Nah. Does he get off the hook saying whatever he wants on the radio without a damn as to how segments of the population are going to react? Of course not. If you put yourself out there for "public consumption," as it were, you're going to have to accept there's a wide range of people out there with a lot of different opinions who have a lot of options as to how they're going to respond. Nothing happened here that's especially unusual or unheard of or indicative of some radical shift in how our country works. Imus getting fired isn't "the end of edgy comedy." I think it's an overreaction and a mistake on the part of CBS, but this series of events doesn't mean that all of a sudden this is going to happen all over the place. It still requires people making choices on all sides on a variety of levels...nobody HAS to do anything. What happens for Imus is not some kind of set pattern for everyone else.

I think if Imus still was the "shock jock" everyone is trying to write him off as, this never would have been a big deal.