Are Racist and Sexist jokes ok if they are used purely in a joking manner?

[Johnnyallstar]

Let me point something out. Jokes are almost always offensive to somebody, or something because that's the nature of humor.

As people have said, context and intent are everything.

 

[ZeZZZZevy]

Context.
Its all about context

This, you really have to understand the situation if you want to avoid hurting someone's feelings, and it also depends on well people know you (are you more prone to making crass jokes or are you usually a serious person?)

basically, it all comes down to context

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

That's how those 'your mam' and 'so's your face' jokes died.

I wish this was true...

Well they died where I live; we buried them in unmarked graves. 'That's what she said' still lives on though, I swear that she will die by my hand.

 

[Ryengu]

One could argue that they have the purpose of pointing out how absurd the stereotype is.

 

[Luthir Fontaine]

just watch your ass and dont say/make a offenive joke in the presents of the race, gender, or whatever

But really raciest and sexist jokes were funny back in high school find something else to make fun of.....like poltics or something

 

[ultrachicken]

I enjoy racist and sexist jokes, because the concepts of racism and sexism are extremely ridiculous to me, so having a laugh at the expense of these two concepts is perfectly fine with me.

 

[SillyBear]

Depends on the context.

 

[Nouw]

It's humour and humour is subjective. You can't tell someone to stop laughing at a joke 'because it's racist' because it's a joke. Obviously, context and intent apply greatly.

Food for thought.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

So long as it's just in jest, and the people that you are making the joke to understand that, then it's fine. Hell, I've got a Korean friend who joins in with all the Asian jokes, and his are way funnier than ours.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

It's humour and humour is subjective. You can't tell someone to stop laughing at a joke 'because it's racist' because it's a joke. Obviously, context and intent apply greatly.

Food for thought.

I like this guy. Particularly the bit he did on Health and Safety in that same sketch.

"How on earth did you not fall in that hole when there were no signs there?"
"Easy, my parents taught me not to be a dick."

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Of course.

Now are you a woman or not white?

 

[BanthaFodder]

I'd like to paraphrase the late, great, George Carlin here for a moment.
words CANNOT hurt you. take the word "******" for example. it's JUST a word! what you SHOULD be worried about is the racist asshole USING the word.

I'll make jokes about people of all races, religions, and genders, but that doesn't mean I'm a racist/sexist asshole.

 

[Randomperson9999999]

im fine with it

 

[Yokai]

It depends on the level of general offensiveness, I suppose. Some joking generalization, e.g. asking your black friend if he stole his new car, is pretty much okay as long as everyone's aware you're kidding, but concentration camp jokes and the like are pretty much completely tasteless as a rule.

 

[DarkRyter]

Yes.

When there is something that cannot be joked about, the situation is dire and joyless.

 

[FoolKiller]

Context.
Its all about context

Agreed. Not only does the teller of the joke matter, but the target audience as well. If your target audience likes it then it can be funny.

 

[ChildofGallifrey]

A word can't offend you unless you let it. One of my very good friends back home in Baton Rouge is black, and he would always jokingly refer to himself as 'the Black'. Eventually it became a running gag between the two of us (and somewhere along the line we started using heavy Russian accents, making it seem even funnier). He embraced the slightly racist joke, so if anyone would try to use it in an offensive manner it would have already lost all its power.

Anyway, I like to think like Yahtzee on this matter, e.g. if there's no malicious intent behind the joke, then it's all okay. If you're telling a ****** joke while wearing a pointy white hood and lighting a cross afire...well, that's probably crossing the line...