Saltyk said:
Lil devils x said:
Saltyk said:
Casual Shinji said:
Lil devils x said:
You do know that this leaves very little in the way of material for comedy, right, since there will always be someone that takes something personal?
And what about violent movies? Should we not have scenes of someone getting stabbed or injured, because people who have suffered through actual physical trauma might experience post-traumatic stress from watching it?
Saying we shouldn't make fun if it might get people killed, basically means we should leave certain things unquestioned. That we shouldn't criticize... well, anything. Because what makes one thing a legitimate target for criticism (ridicule), but not another?
By making everything alright to ridicule we take away power from those who might use it to keep their line of thought free from criticism.
This is pretty much my point in a nutshell. The line of thought that some things are off limits is a problem. Either everything is fair game or nothing is. Because I can always find someone who will find a problem with virtually any joke.
That isn't really true at all, there are plenty of jokes that are actually funny, and really jokes about someone's disability, race, gender, or health condition really are not funny to begin with. Comedians do not need to prop themselves up at the expense of others in order to be funny. Hurtful =\= funny.
You're right. Hurtful is not funny. That's why no one laughs at men getting hit in the balls!
Once again, I can find someone who will be offended by nearly any joke. Remember how I made a joke to a friend at work about giving him a '****** bar'? Well, I'm almost certain that joke offended you. It didn't offend my friend. He thought it was hilarious. So perhaps offense isn't so subjective.
What is hurtful is not universal. Offense is taken, not given. Things that offend you, probably don't offend me. Things that offend me, probably won't offend someone else. The whole idea that we have to avoid offending people is not just wrong, it is actively harmful to society and progress. Sometimes people have to be offended. Sometimes that is good. Often the truth hurts. Maybe being offended will make them take a moment and reflect on themselves.
But you said it yourself. People are good at knowing what bothers them. They can avoid those things. Perhaps people should do that. And maybe they should also realize that they do not have a right to not be offended, and that being offended is not harmful.
Oh, and for the record, few people on this site are more aware of what it is to live with mental disability than me. I've never once found jokes about mental handicaps, or people calling things retarded, to be offensive.
In the Er, yea, we do not really laugh at people being hit in the balls when they are seriously injured.. If you have seen what I seen, you wouldn't be laughing either. Some things just cannot be unseen. My immediate response is to make sure they are okay.
Like I said earlier, it is better to make sure you know the person well enough and be able to judge how they will respond before making a call like that.
People shouldn't be ridiculing or " making fun" of people in general, especially not due to their race, sexuality, disability or anything like that. Yes, people should treat others with respect by default. Yes, treat everyone like a special snowflake as default, especially until you get to know them better to understand whether or not you are being offensive to them. Now say your friend is laughing ridiculously sounding and their drink comes out their nose, that is something you can give them a bit of hell over, but it is situational. Making jokes about peoples race, gender sex or disability though isn't in good fun and is not even funny, it just makes you an asshole. The world could do with less assholes and more empathy.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.942869-Poll-Which-Group-of-People-You-Should-Never-Make-Fun-Of#23790022
What is and is not offensive to people varies, however, often even when people laugh it off and say it doesn't bother them at the time, they may still be uncomfortable with it but are just trying to make it easier to get along by not bringing that up, even when asked. More often than not, people just don't speak up, they just "deal with it" and not say anything because it isn't worth the the effort. You can't avoid things if people are throwing in your face everywhere you go. ALSO if you make a racist joke at work, or if you are in a position of authority, you can make that a hostile working environment for those who do not share your entertainment at their expense.
Even though something does not bother you, you should not assume it does not bother others. The reason we treat everyone with respect is to make them feel comfortable and welcome and not excluded and ridiculed. While of course some are more resilient than others, humiliating people has short term and long term impacts. Respect for others is not harmful to society or blocking progress in any way, the opposite however is true, humiliation ACTUALLY IS. You are actually causing harm:
Sticks and Stones--Hurtful Words Damage the Brain
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-new-brain/201010/sticks-and-stones-hurtful-words-damage-the-brain
The One Emotion That Really Hurts Your Brain
New research reveals the fearsome impact of humiliation
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201407/the-one-emotion-really-hurts-your-brain
http://www.yourtango.com/experts/dr-hillary-goldsher/psychological-ramifcations-public-humiliation
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201408/the-psychology-humiliation
It is far more beneficial to society to eliminate ridicule than to promote it. It is a false statement to claim that it is harmful to society and progress to avoid offending people and to treat them with respect. Science has shown that the opposite is in fact true. It is harmful to ridicule, embarrass and humiliate people, not harmful to treat them with respect. The idea isn't that there is one universal thing that applies to everyone, instead it is that we should treat all people with respect and we will not have to worry about every little thing being offensive in the first place. We do not assume that because it does not offend us that it may not offend someone else, that isn't really how respect works.