Comments | feminist_rage: "It's Just a Joke!"

torasama in feminist_rage

"It's Just a Joke!"

Mar 19, 2009 18:46

Dear everyone who has ever uttered this phrase in the existance of time, in any variation in any language,

Humor is not an absolute defense.

Racist is racist.
Mysognist is mysognist.
Homphobic is homophobic.
Biphobic is biphobic.
Transphobic is transphobic.
Ableism is ableism.

Etc, etc, etc. (Here you should think of The King and ISigned ( Read more... )

Comments 7

(The comment has been removed)

torasama March 19 2009, 23:02:44 UTC

What! I've never heard of that.

Not too sure I'd be too keen on working there in the first place, but the conversations would inevitably include:

"I have a sense of humor. You're just not funny."

and

"I'm laughing with you not at you!"

"You can't be laughing "with" me if I'm not laughing."

yhanthlei March 20 2009, 02:10:24 UTC

"You can't be laughing "with" me if I'm not laughing."

EXACTLY. Jokes are supposed to be FUNNY. They're supposed to make people smile and laugh and be happy. That is the POINT.

_jeremiad March 20 2009, 01:33:10 UTC

YES.

tupelo_lights March 20 2009, 03:32:43 UTC

I've recently come to the realization that one of the tools an abuser used against me (and everyone in his vicinity) was saying "un-PC" and offensive shit all the damn time, claiming it was "just a joke" or that he "just liked to get people riled up over (so-called) nothing." This is ultimately a control game. It's called: I'm Going To Keep You On The Defensive/Reactive At All Times, While I Get To Play Offensive/Active And Have A Real Laugh At Your Expense.

seeinglife March 20 2009, 11:12:49 UTC

Your realization has caused me a similar realization.

suncatnin March 20 2009, 04:28:56 UTC

Oh yes. THIS.

My ex says this all the time to me. "You just don't have a sense of humor." "You take everything too seriously." But then he gets mad at British humor (which I adore and find very funny!) to the point of ranting and yelling because he doesn't understand it.

seeinglife March 20 2009, 11:15:33 UTC

I've actually seen people claim that the purpose of comedy and humor is to offend. WHAT? What the hell is wrong with us that people now think like this? No, the purpose of humor and comedy is to make people laugh and entertain them. ALL people. If you're entertaining a certain demographic that, oh, just might happen to be straight, white, male, and approximately middle class, by mocking various minorities and unprivileged groups, then you're just a SHITTY COMEDIAN or you're just CRAP AT TELLING JOKES.