I'm with you on that. I know people who've had miscarriages and I have children myself so that kind of skews my views on that topic. Other than that I can laugh at pretty much anything.excalipoor said:
Poll: Can humour go too far? (potentially offensive image within)
- Thread starter kiwi_poo
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Yes.
It depends on the audience, though. As mentioned, that song wouldn't go down to well at WW2 memorials, but might work amongst you and your friends.
The problem is when you put that sort of humour in public, you've no idea who the audience will be, you can't be selective anymore.
It depends on the audience, though. As mentioned, that song wouldn't go down to well at WW2 memorials, but might work amongst you and your friends.
The problem is when you put that sort of humour in public, you've no idea who the audience will be, you can't be selective anymore.
Why of course. Humour can always be taken too far, it doesn't mean it crosses over to offensive, it can simply be taken too far for the intended crowd. I once took a joke too far and it wasn't offensive, it was just a joke about how I was never going to get a girlfriend. I have joked about having my girlfriend in the freezer to better reception than that.
Now the picture in the first post wasn't funny (in part because the words don't fit into the melody so it's poorly made), but I don't think it's because it was taken too far. There are 9/11 jokes where most are just made to be offensive. Yeah, I get it, you've got an internet connection thus you have to be dark and edgy. If a joke is offensive just to be offensive it's usually a bad joke.
Now the picture in the first post wasn't funny (in part because the words don't fit into the melody so it's poorly made), but I don't think it's because it was taken too far. There are 9/11 jokes where most are just made to be offensive. Yeah, I get it, you've got an internet connection thus you have to be dark and edgy. If a joke is offensive just to be offensive it's usually a bad joke.
Humour is fairly subjective and always risks going too far. The big problem is that it's hard to gague the line between a clever barb and a dick move.
There is a certain amount of time that passes for jokes about certain events to be considered okay. The Holocaust was over 50 Years ago. Let's say, for example, you make a 9/11 joke on the the day after. That would have been offensive to MOST people. It's been over 10 years, and jokes about 9/11 are found, but they don't get as much backlash as it's an event that happened quite a while ago.
There are no lines that humor can cross that deem it universally offensive to every creature in existence, but jokes are more offensive when related to historical events. Especially ones that involved acts of Terrorism and mass slaughter.
There are no lines that humor can cross that deem it universally offensive to every creature in existence, but jokes are more offensive when related to historical events. Especially ones that involved acts of Terrorism and mass slaughter.
My ex miscarried and still makes dead baby jokes, so it's still rather subjective.Programmed_For_Damage said:
Not that I'd walk around making dead baby jokes.
I'd say when people become physically endangered, that's when it needs to stop, otherwise it's pretty easy to avoid offensive material if you so desire. Also 4chan has this kind of stuff all the time.
Why did I do that? More importantly, why did I keep scrolling down? I knew something bad was going to happen, I even took my headphones off if it was a screamer. I braced myself for the worst and was still not ready for the horrors that awaited me. I'm going to go cry while bathing in bleach now.Meaning of Karma said:
OT: no, humor can't go too far. To be honest, that "offended" page was actually pretty funny despite the severe emotional damage it has done to me.
i say there is a good place and time for ALMOST anything, joke wise at least. That being said if it's just a joke than it usually can't go too far if it's in the right company. As offensive as some jokes can be, they can still be funny to a certain audience. As long as a joke isn't used to hurt someone intentionally, than i think it's OK.
To answer the question though, yes a joke can go too far, if it's intention is to harm or the joke was said while the joker was aware of the offense it would cause to the audience they are telling the joke in the presence of.
To answer the question though, yes a joke can go too far, if it's intention is to harm or the joke was said while the joker was aware of the offense it would cause to the audience they are telling the joke in the presence of.
I think it goes too far if the joke is made (obviously) solely to insult (lot's of satire magazines are very unfunny to me because they bleed "we're desperate and don't do it because it's funny but because we want to make a joke about this"), instead of having a silly idea and running with it.
Maybe the commenter meant 'Holy Fuck, Your god gunna smite you so hard'MrHide-Patten said:
OT; I think that humour can't go too far but there are things that people should consider before blindly making a joke in any given situation.
1. thats an image of 4chan. you really think this has gone too far? this must be child section of 4chan whne we talk about 4chan.
2. humour cant go too far. It runs on freedom of speech, and as far as last time i checked, thats a human right.
2. humour cant go too far. It runs on freedom of speech, and as far as last time i checked, thats a human right.
I can often find the humour in something and find it funny at least to a degree. I've yet to come across something that's intended to be funny that I find offensive (but I'm a 20 year old straight white Christian guy so I doubt that will ever really happen). The picture you posted, has a humourous tinge to it, I mean it's a controversial topic put to the Pokemon theme, ha ha, but after reading it once I don't find it funny anymore, partially because it's an old trick and partially because it's controversial. I suppose I do have a dark sense of humour, I find a lot of sexist jokes hilarious, so long as they're done right, but if something has very little humourous merit other than being controversial, I don't really find it funny, such as the picture you posted.
As to other people's humour, if something is clearly controversial I won't try to impress on anyone how it's funny because I understand my sense of humour is different to others', even if the controversy doesn't necessarily apply to them. I dislike people going off on a rage over something like the picture posted because it is a joke, it's obviously completely taste-less but that should be more reason to just ignore it because chances are it was done to get a rise out of people. But, like I said, I'm not really part of any minority so I'm not going to tell someone else how to take a joke that they find offensive. HOWEVER, people who aren't part of the minority who rage against it FOR them annoy me most.
As to other people's humour, if something is clearly controversial I won't try to impress on anyone how it's funny because I understand my sense of humour is different to others', even if the controversy doesn't necessarily apply to them. I dislike people going off on a rage over something like the picture posted because it is a joke, it's obviously completely taste-less but that should be more reason to just ignore it because chances are it was done to get a rise out of people. But, like I said, I'm not really part of any minority so I'm not going to tell someone else how to take a joke that they find offensive. HOWEVER, people who aren't part of the minority who rage against it FOR them annoy me most.
So humor is always going to be subjective. The answer is of course, yes it can go to far. Find me anyone and I can make a joke that is considered to far to them. The actual subject matter is what will change. I don't find that picture to far, but I can imagine there are a few who do.
So yes, Humor can and will go to far, but you won't know if it's too far until the people around you say it is for them.
So yes, Humor can and will go to far, but you won't know if it's too far until the people around you say it is for them.
I think I'll save that image OP, thanks.
What do you mean by "too far"? If you mean 'there's a point at which an idea- humorous or otherwise- must be barred from literary or illustrated expression for [x,y,z] reason', then no.
The worst a joke can do is upset you. Hurt your feelings. That doesn't constitute actual harm. Ever. Which means it doesn't constitute a valid mandate to govern the jokes of others. Ever.
What do you mean by "too far"? If you mean 'there's a point at which an idea- humorous or otherwise- must be barred from literary or illustrated expression for [x,y,z] reason', then no.
The worst a joke can do is upset you. Hurt your feelings. That doesn't constitute actual harm. Ever. Which means it doesn't constitute a valid mandate to govern the jokes of others. Ever.
My grandma on my dads side was a Polish Jew who survived the Holocaust and I still had a little giggle at that.
A lot of people get easily offended to make other feel bad, and make themselves feel better.
People need to understand the difference between offended and getting upset/angry over a joke though.
"That racist joke offended me, because I am Asian."
"That racist joke annoyed me because I think racism is stupid."
I think, unless you're a dick with no feelings, humour can go too far for anyone especially when joking about something personal.
(I'm sure even those people on 4chan will have something that would upset them.)
Also, just be careful what sort of humour you use around people. My mums a bit of a softy and doesn't like seriously sick jokes so I wouldn't open up Sickipedia and start reading aloud to her, but my brother looks that sort of stuff.
I can laugh at almost everything but I have my breaking points, I think everyone should.
A lot of people get easily offended to make other feel bad, and make themselves feel better.
People need to understand the difference between offended and getting upset/angry over a joke though.
"That racist joke offended me, because I am Asian."
"That racist joke annoyed me because I think racism is stupid."
I think, unless you're a dick with no feelings, humour can go too far for anyone especially when joking about something personal.
(I'm sure even those people on 4chan will have something that would upset them.)
Also, just be careful what sort of humour you use around people. My mums a bit of a softy and doesn't like seriously sick jokes so I wouldn't open up Sickipedia and start reading aloud to her, but my brother looks that sort of stuff.
I can laugh at almost everything but I have my breaking points, I think everyone should.
Really, it's up to each individual to decide for themselves.
There are no objectively offensive statements, but people can feel free to be offended by whatever the hell they want.
Really, cracking racey jokes to people you know won't punch you is the way.
There are no objectively offensive statements, but people can feel free to be offended by whatever the hell they want.
Really, cracking racey jokes to people you know won't punch you is the way.