Philosophy
I was having a conversation last night with Hanno and C.Ewing and my routine came up. Hanno raised questions about the end portion -- the Eskimo jokes. Having had friends who spent time in Alaska, he was well aware that, unbeknownst to me (although a moment's consideration should have brought it to mind), that Inuit women are considered far and away the lowest rung of the social ladder and have it quite bad.
General agreement was reached that there is no problem with jokes being offensive per se. That offensiveness can be used to stir the social pot where there is unjust stasis, it can be used as a tool to undermine discrimination and structural social unfairness, it can effectively call attention to injustices we work hard in more "serious" ways to avoid coming to grips with.
But jokes can be used as weapons to strengthen unfair social systems as well. Jokes that reinforce false stereotypes can be used to keep groups down. The problem with certain jokes is not that they are offensive or unfunny, but that they are used in a form of bullying. If a group is secure in its social place, a given joke about them will not be harmful or even could be appreciated. But the same joke, told about a group that is more vulnerable or possessing of little social capital can be harmful and unnecessarily painful.
In my routine, I was not furthering any negative stereotypes of eskimo women -- indeed I had no clue what they were. I was being playful, connecting in an absurdist way the use of the nose in Eskimo kissing and images of other anatomical parts that tend to be used in moments of passion. The question then is whether the mere act of picking a group that is low down on the social hierarchy is not merely picking, but picking on. Should unfair social status convey "off limits" status for joking for anyone outside of the community as it could reasonably be seen as piling on even if the jokes themselves are not reinforcing of negative stereotypes?
- Groucho And Pure Jokes
My Fellow Comedists, I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so...
- Butts And Subjects
My Fellow Comedists, A technical question this weekend. Is there a difference between being the subject of a joke and the butt of a joke? If a joke turns on an ambiguity about a property associated with a group, does that joke necessarily make fun of...
- Making Fun Of Vs. Joking Reference
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This weekend we consider another moral question in comedy. There is no doubt that humor can be used as a weapon. Indeed, our own Comedist security squad, the Fast Action Response Team whose motto...
- Why Is This Funny? Jokes About The Disabled
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: A question about Comedist theology and its relation to morality this weekend. I received this picture in an e-mail, entitled, "If you laugh at this, you're a bad person." It's funny....
- The Limits Of Humor
I got a great question about Comedist theology a couple of weeks ago that fits in well with the Polish jokes question: Are there any topics that are so horrible that it is simply inappropriate to joke about them? Is there a line that humor just should...
Philosophy
Are Certain Groups Comedically Out of Bounds on Ethical Grounds?
I was having a conversation last night with Hanno and C.Ewing and my routine came up. Hanno raised questions about the end portion -- the Eskimo jokes. Having had friends who spent time in Alaska, he was well aware that, unbeknownst to me (although a moment's consideration should have brought it to mind), that Inuit women are considered far and away the lowest rung of the social ladder and have it quite bad.
General agreement was reached that there is no problem with jokes being offensive per se. That offensiveness can be used to stir the social pot where there is unjust stasis, it can be used as a tool to undermine discrimination and structural social unfairness, it can effectively call attention to injustices we work hard in more "serious" ways to avoid coming to grips with.
But jokes can be used as weapons to strengthen unfair social systems as well. Jokes that reinforce false stereotypes can be used to keep groups down. The problem with certain jokes is not that they are offensive or unfunny, but that they are used in a form of bullying. If a group is secure in its social place, a given joke about them will not be harmful or even could be appreciated. But the same joke, told about a group that is more vulnerable or possessing of little social capital can be harmful and unnecessarily painful.
In my routine, I was not furthering any negative stereotypes of eskimo women -- indeed I had no clue what they were. I was being playful, connecting in an absurdist way the use of the nose in Eskimo kissing and images of other anatomical parts that tend to be used in moments of passion. The question then is whether the mere act of picking a group that is low down on the social hierarchy is not merely picking, but picking on. Should unfair social status convey "off limits" status for joking for anyone outside of the community as it could reasonably be seen as piling on even if the jokes themselves are not reinforcing of negative stereotypes?
- Groucho And Pure Jokes
My Fellow Comedists, I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so...
- Butts And Subjects
My Fellow Comedists, A technical question this weekend. Is there a difference between being the subject of a joke and the butt of a joke? If a joke turns on an ambiguity about a property associated with a group, does that joke necessarily make fun of...
- Making Fun Of Vs. Joking Reference
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This weekend we consider another moral question in comedy. There is no doubt that humor can be used as a weapon. Indeed, our own Comedist security squad, the Fast Action Response Team whose motto...
- Why Is This Funny? Jokes About The Disabled
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere: A question about Comedist theology and its relation to morality this weekend. I received this picture in an e-mail, entitled, "If you laugh at this, you're a bad person." It's funny....
- The Limits Of Humor
I got a great question about Comedist theology a couple of weeks ago that fits in well with the Polish jokes question: Are there any topics that are so horrible that it is simply inappropriate to joke about them? Is there a line that humor just should...