So who has a taste for offensive humor? (ie: me)

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I don't find anything that is intending to be offensive that funny, but I am a fan of sarcasm and black humour! You can have a twisted sense of humour without having to resort to offending people. Offensive humour, at the core, is laughing at others expense, and that I don't find funny... It's the reason I like Stuart Lee, but can't stand Frankie Boyle.

 

[Casual Shinji]

"Attends furry conventions" *BANG*

Yeah, this video got a good laugh out of me.

If it was just him shooting black people and Muslims, this whole thing would've been a bit uncomfortable to watch, but the fact that he starts shooting everyone who holds even the slightest of stigmas makes it hilarious.

 

[rbstewart7263]

"Attends furry conventions" *BANG*

Yeah, this video got a good laugh out of me.

If it was just him shooting black people and Muslims, this whole thing would've been a bit uncomfortable to watch, but the fact that he starts shooting everyone who holds even the slightest of stigmas makes it hilarious.

Exactly that made it alot easier to stomach for me as well!



And also I dont personally condone insulting others.(like someone above did) because they cant see the same humor in it as I do. Theres a divide there in thinking and ideology but when is there ever not one.

 

[pilouuuu]

"Attends furry conventions" *BANG*

Yeah, this video got a good laugh out of me.

If it was just him shooting black people and Muslims, this whole thing would've been a bit uncomfortable to watch, but the fact that he starts shooting everyone who holds even the slightest of stigmas makes it hilarious.

Exactly that made it alot easier to stomach for me as well!



And also I dont personally condone insulting others.(like someone above did) because they cant see the same humor in it as I do. Theres a divide there in thinking and ideology but when is there ever not one.

And self-deprecating humour: "avid gamer" Bang! Haha so funny!

 

[Lieju]

I don't have much respect for something that just tries to be offensive. Because what's the point?

That being said, you should be able to joke about anything, but when you're just being a bigot or a jerk, you deserve to be called out on it.

What is offensive also depends on the person and the context, so it's not like there a well-defined genre of 'offensive humor'.

(like racist jokes under the understanding that you are not racist and such things are not ok in real life.)

Here's the thing, though. Can you be sure your audience understands that?
The jokes I tell amongst good friends are very different from jokes I'd tell on the Internet for example. Because my friends understand the context and for example that the joke is on the stereotypes or that I'm expressing frustration with an actual issue I have.

Without knowing that stuff it would easily be misinterpreted as ableist, or misogynistic, or homophobic, or misandrist or just horribly insensitive.

 

[The Lunatic]

Well.

The biggest problem with "Offensive humour" is you need somebody to take offence to it.


So, yeah, it's good that people get all up in arms over these kind of things.


It just makes it more hilarious for those of us that enjoy it.

 

[Vareoth]

This is quite amusing, especially when he shot the Canadian and the gamer. I think that most people can see that this video is just a jape at the arbitrariness of targeted violence in general. It probably would have been offensive if he was limiting this virtual killing spree to only a singular group.

Nevertheless, some of the offended reactions on this video have been very entertaining to watch.

 

[Arkynomicon]

I don't mind racist and poor taste humor because humor is needed to take the tension out of things.

I do mind that humor when it's constantly repeated like a mantra, because it drains all the vitality and momentum out of the joke. Some people also act like the silly political hot topic jokes are real argument in themselves, and they get angry when I disagree with them. Typically they tend accuse me of being part of some fascist PC network that polices the web. I also loathe the PC police as well; because I think any reactionary extremist movement is toxic to society.

Basically; a joke stops being funny to me after I hear it too many times in a short period of time, but people also need to lighten up and take everything too seriously.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

I found that really funny, mainly because they start out with what you'd expect and then shoot people like a gamer and a 9/11 survivor. I'm not sure how I'd feel about a video of straight killing, say, Muslim NPCs but I'd probably dismiss it as bait rather than a legitimate show of hatred.

 

[happyninja42]

Wait what? Isn't politically correctness to not offend people? How does that make them hateful douche?

OT: Didn't watch the vid. Because i prefer politcal correctness to racism, even as joke.

In theory, but some people overreact to things, or go on a weird form of crusade, shoving their opinions about something into a discussion that possibly didn't have anything to do with racism/sexism/etc. They will inject it into it, in order to be offended and outraged by it.

Some people look for things to become offended by, so they have an excuse to righteously blow their top and spew out their pent up frustrations.

It's not always the case of course, plenty of times the comments are totally justified, but sometimes it's just silly. Like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k--lBw8nTCk

 

[Soxafloppin]

Yea. I'm a big Franky Boyle fan so I guess I fall into that category. I'd recommend all his DVDs and Mock the Week Appearances.

The watchdogs thing is hilarious.

 

[rbstewart7263]

I don't have much respect for something that just tries to be offensive. Because what's the point?

That being said, you should be able to joke about anything, but when you're just being a bigot or a jerk, you deserve to be called out on it.

What is offensive also depends on the person and the context, so it's not like there a well-defined genre of 'offensive humor'.

(like racist jokes under the understanding that you are not racist and such things are not ok in real life.)

Here's the thing, though. Can you be sure your audience understands that?
The jokes I tell amongst good friends are very different from jokes I'd tell on the Internet for example. Because my friends understand the context and for example that the joke is on the stereotypes or that I'm expressing frustration with an actual issue I have.

Without knowing that stuff it would easily be misinterpreted as ableist, or misogynistic, or homophobic, or misandrist or just horribly insensitive.

No I cant always be sure but I try to be. But every philosophy has its crutch. The opposite extreme of offensive humor would probably be absolute censorhip of anything that could be construed as an ist. Would such a thing insure that all those you love were not racist? probably not. But thats life we get few assurances.

 

[Lieju]

I don't have much respect for something that just tries to be offensive. Because what's the point?

That being said, you should be able to joke about anything, but when you're just being a bigot or a jerk, you deserve to be called out on it.

What is offensive also depends on the person and the context, so it's not like there a well-defined genre of 'offensive humor'.

(like racist jokes under the understanding that you are not racist and such things are not ok in real life.)

Here's the thing, though. Can you be sure your audience understands that?
The jokes I tell amongst good friends are very different from jokes I'd tell on the Internet for example. Because my friends understand the context and for example that the joke is on the stereotypes or that I'm expressing frustration with an actual issue I have.

Without knowing that stuff it would easily be misinterpreted as ableist, or misogynistic, or homophobic, or misandrist or just horribly insensitive.

No I cant always be sure but I try to be. But every philosophy has its crutch. The opposite extreme of offensive humor would probably be absolute censorhip of anything that could be construed as an ist. Would such a thing insure that all those you love were not racist? probably not. But thats life we get few assurances.

Why the need to go to extremes, though?

What is offensive depends purely on the context.
For example if someone's husband had died in a fire very recently, making any jokes about fires would be pretty offensive and in bad taste, even if those jokes would be totally ok in any other situation.

 

[Gorrath]

Why the need to go to extremes, though?

What is offensive depends purely on the context.
For example if someone's husband had died in a fire very recently, making any jokes about fires would be pretty offensive and in bad taste, even if those jokes would be totally ok in any other situation.

I agree with you Lieju. Context has a great deal to do with how a joke should be interpreted and therefore whether one may or may not be offended by it. Offense is an interesting concept because of how much personal experience plays into it. That is why I think something being "offensive" or not isn't really a good justification for its censorship. Now if one can demonstrate that something that is "offensive" is also quite harmful to society, then I think we've a reason to intervene. I am personally amused by "offensive" humor so long as the comic is tasteful enough to not do it viciously and is happy to take shots at anyone. When the humor becomes polemic, vicious and/or condescending, then I can join the chorus of outrage against it.

 

[rbstewart7263]

I don't have much respect for something that just tries to be offensive. Because what's the point?

That being said, you should be able to joke about anything, but when you're just being a bigot or a jerk, you deserve to be called out on it.

What is offensive also depends on the person and the context, so it's not like there a well-defined genre of 'offensive humor'.

(like racist jokes under the understanding that you are not racist and such things are not ok in real life.)

Here's the thing, though. Can you be sure your audience understands that?
The jokes I tell amongst good friends are very different from jokes I'd tell on the Internet for example. Because my friends understand the context and for example that the joke is on the stereotypes or that I'm expressing frustration with an actual issue I have.

Without knowing that stuff it would easily be misinterpreted as ableist, or misogynistic, or homophobic, or misandrist or just horribly insensitive.

No I cant always be sure but I try to be. But every philosophy has its crutch. The opposite extreme of offensive humor would probably be absolute censorhip of anything that could be construed as an ist. Would such a thing insure that all those you love were not racist? probably not. But thats life we get few assurances.

Why the need to go to extremes, though?

What is offensive depends purely on the context.
For example if someone's husband had died in a fire very recently, making any jokes about fires would be pretty offensive and in bad taste, even if those jokes would be totally ok in any other situation.

Its just easier to use as an example for the sake of making a point.( extremes) I could go to less extremes and the answer would be the same really.

 

[Pseudonym]

So this video is funny and makes it abundandly clear to every idiot who has ever said 'if you're innocent you have nothing to fear' why privacy is important. It even ends with a punchline shooting an 'anti-violence activist.'

The article linked in the OP is also hilarious because of how sheltered the author seems to be. Doing the things shown in the video seems like one of the main reasons these open world crime games are popular. He is tossing this out there like it is some grand insight requiring profound cynicism. Maybe the article was intended for people who aren't in the know on video games. Or maybe it was intended for people who have grown up thinking that Jeff Dunham is edgy. (Yes, people exist who think that) Reading the interwebs always reminds me that apparently not everyone grew up on South Park, Hans Teeuwen and similar things which are crude even when they aren't even trying to be and even cruder when they are trying. I've seen people laughing themselves to tears over happy three friends. (a cartoon thing in which animals torture eachother to death) I've seen those same people moved to tears by other movies about human suffering. Just because someone laughs at an offensive joke doesn't mean they condone what the joke is about or even that they are insensitive to the issues being joked about.

I generally try to interpret what the point of a certain joke was, whether there was a point, and whether the underlying thought is bigoted, violent, victimblaming or otherwise stupid or whether it is mocking those things or whether the person who told the joke wasn't thinking about it at all. When the underlying thought is problematic or not there I ussually don't like the joke, when it isn't I might like it. I don't doubt that some people in the audience are going to miss the point of certain jokes and take a message away that wasn't intended but that is most likely because they are dipshits and assholes to begin with and very stupid for not understanding the point of certain jokes.

Edit: the youtube comments beneath the video do make me rather sad. Some people claiming that nobody is being a bigot and others being blatand bigots. One guy said he didn't like the video of abuse of power and violation of privacy and how that can be used for evil so according to him the NSA should keep an eye on the guy who posted the video. Another guy mentioned that as a Muslim he felt uncomfortable watching this and he immediately gets a bunch of extremely bigoted remarks thrown at him just for being a muslim. I knew I should have seen stupidity and bigotry coming when I started reading youtube comments but it still caught me a little off-guard.

 

[epicdwarf]

The video's humor: Fucking amazing.

Offensive humor in general: Depends. You need to keep a balance of funny and offensive in order to not come off as an ultra-asshole. South Park does it right. The newest seasons of Family Guy fuck it up. The best one I have heard recently was about Oscar Pistorius. It was in english class while we were talking about the case and justice. One student(who usually makes these types of jokes) commented on how it looks like he is going to the ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR.