Thread: Racial inequality in comedy?

Originally Posted by Alric

Most people are fairly good at telling what is true and what is just a bullshit line from tv.

Is their a disconnect between you believing that Americans are too stupid disbelieve mass media about "NWO" conspiracies to undermine American sovereignty but intelligent enough to do the same thing for race (mostly inadvertent) propaganda?

At any rate, the issue isn't intelligence, it's being aware that there is an inherent message to be de-constructed and then being willing to follow through on doing it. This applies to many aspects of culture other than race and class.

Originally Posted by Alric

Anyway, this all avoids the real reason why blacks have trouble, and it has nothing to do with being black. It has far more to do with your economic class. If a black person is having a hard time, its probably far more likely because he is poor than because of him being black and people mistreating him for it. This applies to everyone though. All poor people no matter what race they are, get screwed over.

Poverty is a root issue, but poor white people weren't getting lynched by poor black people in recent times.Poor black people get screwed over harsher. Arutad makes a valid point that some of it is just being perceived as inferior. I get that because I'm a high school drop out and it irritates me to no end. Thats something that I chose and that I am free to not reveal to people and it still bugs me. I can only imagine how emotionally damaging it must be if it wasn't a choice that I had made.

Originally Posted by Oneironaut

As far as the main topic, I don't really like racial humor at all. To me, it's like someone resorting to crudeness because they really have no universal perspective, and can't deliver material that doesn't require an audience with some degree of prejudice.

I understand that sometimes it's done lightheartedly, and with no real offense meant - much like gender humor - but it usually gets little more than a chuckle out of me, depending on the joke.

So are you discrediting my point about racial humor having a role to play in healing racial divides? There are overt and discernible, though not inherent, differences in the behavior, informal language and culture between the races. This is of course speaking in generallities, but they do seem to be well founded ones.

On the whole, racism is still a problem in this culture and the more relaxed we all get around each other, the better things are going to be. I can't help but think that humor has a role to play in this.

I don't have a problem with anyone making jokes. Its often pretty obvious what is funny and what is just down right racist, and when you make clear racist comments people normally do not listen.

As for us watching more or less the same thing that isn't true at all. You get cable and you get some 100 odd channels to pick from. What you watch and what another person does is probably vastly different.

Most people can figure out, when something doesn't make any sense at all, and when something doesn't reflect reality. That however, doesn't mean they at all pay attention to recent events or politics and stuff.

Originally Posted by PhilosopherStoned

So are you discrediting my point about racial humor having a role to play in healing racial divides? There are overt and discernible, though not inherent, differences in the behavior, informal language and culture between the races. This is of course speaking in generallities, but they do seem to be well founded ones.

I'm not completely discrediting that it plays a role; any more than I would discredit the idea that being bullied builds character, which it often does.

I don't necessarily condone bullying either, though. Same concept.

Originally Posted by Arutad

What's the difference between a white man and a black man? Skin tone. That's what sets them apart initially, that's the mark by which people were socially separated in past. The existence of different mannerisms and all that is a direct consequence of having been socially separated, otherwise cultures would've gotten merged.

And jokes that laugh at stereotypes are always offensive to those who get laughed at. You may imagine that you laugh at something innocent, but try to make such a joke in the face of whom you're laughing at I don't think they'd ever buy your words "But wait, I'm not laughing at you, it's only about mannerisms, speech, cultural differences". Because you do laugh at a group they belong to, and in an offensive way.

They key word here is "past". why does something we have nothing to do with automatically mean whites are being "arrogant"? They
are just making jokes like the other races. And seriously...its ALWAYS offensive? then skin tone doesnt matter, blacks shouldnt be allowed to make those kind of jokes either. I honestly feel that if you cant laugh at yourself then you are in one sad sad state of mind. I genuinely laugh at black/white jokes that go both ways.
People who try to make comedy more than what it is seriously need to take a step back and re-evaluate what they are going to get up in arms about.

Originally Posted by tkdyo

They key word here is "past". why does something we have nothing to do with automatically mean whites are being "arrogant"? They
are just making jokes like the other races. And seriously...its ALWAYS offensive?

It's not really past, otherwise no such jokes would exist. They wouldn't seem funny.