Are there any topics that you believe are off-limits for jokes?

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CrystalViolet

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I was having this conversation with my mum. I tend to make horribly inappropriate jokes and it gets me in trouble. I make lots of jokes about Jews because I'm Jewish myself, not by religion but by ethnic/cultural/familial background. This generally shocks people.

I don't believe anything is off-limits, people should be free to joke about what they want but that doesn't leave them impervious to criticism. I don't care whether a joke offends anyone but I do care about whether it actually hurts them. I don't make jokes about things like sexual assault or rape because even victims who aren't explicitly offended by the jokes are likely to feel pain or anxiety after such a traumatic experience. I also don't usually make jokes about disabled people because I find something inherently distasteful about it seeing as how I'm of sound mind and body. The only exception to that is with one of my friends who has cerebral palsy but only because she's cool with it and we only do it in private.

I'm rambling. What do you think?
 

Dirty Hipsters

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I don't think that any jokes should automatically be off limits at all times, but I do think that there are inappropriate times and places for certain types of jokes. You wouldn't make dead baby jokes in front of someone who just lost a child, and you wouldn't make racist jokes at a place of business. If you're among friends and like-minded people then make all the jokes you want about whatever you want and no one will care, but there are limits as to where and when certain jokes are made. The two different timings with the same joke can result in you either looking clever and hilarious or like a giant asshole.
 

Dalek Caan

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Feb 12, 2011
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I think really there's a time limit on jokes depending on what actually happened.

Someone was robbed? A week at least.
Something blew-up without casualties? A day.
Someone died? Month or Two?
A Lot of people died? Year.
Apocalypse? Whenever the next advance species evolves on this planet.

Of course you probably still wouldn't joke about those things to someone who had experienced it but I find making fun of situations or joking in general can really help out.
 

Vault101

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Sep 26, 2010
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it depends....

I think I'm more likely to give a crude/wtf joke a free pass if its genuinely funny (which is highly subjective), part of the humour comes from how "oh my god I can't believe they said that" something is

however....

people do tend to defend jokes/humour as something that shouldn't be questioned due to its very nature, which I don't think is always true..especially if just mean spirited
 

maidenm

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I have my personal stance that the job of a comedian is to make people laugh. If people don't laugh the comedian failed and it's on them to make up for it. As such, the one making the joke needs to tell the right joke, at the right time, to the right audience. Easier said than done, to be sure, but as a general rule I try not to make offensive jokes to people I don't know. If I did offend someone (wich actually hasn't happened to my knowledge) I'd apologise. I think it's just common curtesy. As long as those rules are followed you can joke about absolutely anything you want.

Also, if you don't know what your audience is, like on the internet where it could be anyone, I think getting uppity because someone was offended is kinda silly. If you make offensive or semi-offensive jokes on the internet, be prepared that not everyone is going to laugh. Don't make the jokes if you aren't.
 

Eddie the head

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I don't really know what to say other then no. If someone doesn't like the joke you made I guess they have every right to say so. But me? Even if you where directly insulating me I would likely just leave you alone. Have fun what do I care? (I'm total not an alpha male.)
 

Tanis

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Aug 30, 2010
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I think George Carlin was right.

There's no such thing as an 'off-limit' subject, anything can be funny, it's just the execution of the joke.
 

Johnny Impact

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Nothing is off limits.

However, just because you're allowed to handle dynamite doesn't necessarily mean you should juggle it. Just because you're allowed to juggle it doesn't necessarily mean you should light it first. And just because you're allowed to light it first doesn't necessarily mean you should expect to come through unscathed.
 

Sniper Team 4

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For me personally, yes. There are a few topics out there that I don't find amusing even if the joke is perfectly timed and hilarious. Usually when I hear one, I just ignore it, or get up and walk away. Other people may find it funny, but not me. I don't want to rain on their parade, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stay there and listen to something I don't like.
 

Redlin5_v1legacy

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Rape and pedophilia are my big two. I don't care how perfectly executed the joke was nor how clever its content is, those two topics just disengage my smile instantly. Heck, I even walked out of a gathering with friends over such a joke. Its just not funny to me period.

However, I can laugh at 9/11 jokes and Holocaust jokes if they're done well. Why? A good way of healing is laughing and enough time has passed for them to be appropriate in my eyes. It still has to be clever and be executed flawlessly though because if its done just for the shock value of those subjects alone without having a clever, funny point in the context of the joke; I also lose my smile.

Just my two cents.
 

Lilani

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Anything can be funny, just not to the same people. There are many jokes that can be made about tragedies like Columbine or 9/11, but they might not be funny to people who were directly affected by those tragedies.
 

QuietlyListening

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Well there's a difference between the topic and its execution. Certain topics are going to require better execution and more nuance than others. Joking about race is not the same thing as telling a racist joke. For instance, the Louis CK bit about why being white is awesome. If the bit were about why white people are better than other people, then he'd probably, and rightfully be branded as a racist.


For short hand, I like Johnny Impact's metaphor. Nice.
 

Ikaruga33

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It really depends on the context.
If I'm with a couple of guy friends, we'll joke about sex all the time. Really dirty jokes.
If there are women present, usually we'll tone it down a notch (although that depends on the person)
If it's the internet, then it depends on the site. Somewhere like 4chan? Of course everything's off limits. If someone was uncomftorable with things like rape jokes they shouldn't fucking be there in the first place. If it's a forum like this, usually the culture is quite different, and what's socially acceptable is also different

When it comes to things like T.V or stand up comedy though, everything should be off limits. If you don't like a show with rape jokes, just don't watch it. Ignore it.

That being said, I do believe it's wrong to make personal jokes. For example, you can joke about 9/11, but you shouldn't specifically joke about someone who actually died in it. Although I guess that also depends on the context.
 

Thaluikhain

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Very much depends on the context, and on the audience. Some things are much harder to do well than others.

Also, if you are a comedian on TV, the audience is potentially millions of people you don't know. Have to be a lot more careful then.

(Oh, I would say that jokes that are attacks, rather than jokes, they can be off-limits depending on what they are attacking)
 

Obama's Dad 420

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Rape, misogyny and racist jokes. They reinforce the terrible misogyny rape supremacy culture we live in and cause rape and murder. They must stop and I will stop at nothing, even if it means martyrdom, to end all jokes of this nature. So if I hear you say something I don't like, look out, because I'M COMING FOR U! :3
 

MintSM

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Any joke that's being told by someone who has no idea how to handle the subject material is pretty much dead on arrival. I don't inherently hate rape jokes or racism jokes directly, I just hate the way that the joke is usually told, i.e. in an overly mean-spirited or offensive-just-to-be-offensive way.

There's a difference to me between the annoying 11-year old who makes 9-11 jokes because he thinks it's edgy and as a result automatically funny between the guy who has enough self awareness to make something like this:

 

spartan231490

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Absolutely nothing. People need to grow up and deal. The joy and laughter created by humor far outweighs the hurt perceived by the people who are determined to be victims.