Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watdcsu!magore
From: magore@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Mike Gore, Institute Computer Research - ICR)
Newsgroups: news.misc
Subject: Re: Racist jokes
Message-ID: <5337@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>
Date: 3 Dec 88 01:20:18 GMT
References: <8030@bloom-beacon.MIT.EDU> <1058@osupyr.mast.ohio-state.edu> <1223@fig.bbn.com> <179@loci.UUCP> <2361@looking.UUCP> <251@blake.acs.washington.edu> <423@mccc.UUCP> <17379@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <670@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> <260@blake.acs.washington.edu> <672@fc
Reply-To: magore@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (Mike Gore, Institute Computer Research - ICR)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 58

Hello,
[re: rec.humor.funny ]

Note: I deleted soc.culture.jewish from the newgroups line given the
concern many have raised about cross posting all over the place...

In article <672@fcs280s.ncifcrf.gov> shore@ncifcrf.gov 
	(Melinda Shore) '> ' writes:
[munch...]
>								Yes,
>ethnic humor can be funny, but that does not mean that it isn't used as
>a weapon as well.  Some of what I've seen in rec.humor.funny has been
>extremely vicious, 

	This raises an interesting question. How do you KNOW what you read was
_really_ vicious say rather then intended as _humor_? Your statement would 
seem to impute motives, yet on what basis !? Consider a paraphrase to your 
statement above, "Fish are good to eat but some people can be very sickened by 
the idea." What course of action does it tell us to take ? For example, would 
we as a society say, ban all commercials advertising fish and put pressure on 
all the eating establishments "obviously not restrained by simple common 
decency" who serve such "purely offensive material" !?  :-)

>			and I don't think it's appropriate for Brad to put
>his stamp of approval on it and post it to the net.  Du bis nit a
>mensch, Brad.  Do the right thing.  Racism is not acceptable, period.

	Is it not really questionable and also unappropriate for you to impute 
Brad's motives with such near context of "approval" and "racism"?  Anyway,
how do you know he really _approves_ of the _reality_ the jokes suggest ? 
Brad is NOT a racist - I've known him for 10 years. There is a LARGE
gap between say approving the reality a joke may suggest to some and that
of it's _humor_ value. When dealing with humor you don't take it seriously
by definition. Especially when it's found in a group whose very function
is humor - NOT reality. 8-)!

[General aside]
	Have you ever 'provoked' a friend with a humorous jab while all the
time just waiting for them to return the favor and "one up" you ? This happens 
on social level as well.  Personally I feel the real sadness in this whole
issue is the very thought of all those who may have yet to learn what humor can 
really do for them.... :-) 

	Being able to laugh at each other, yes even at lifes more morbid 
things, is perhaps one of the best ways we have of diffusing the very 
kind of mean spirit that motivates some people to hate. There is another 
concern here. If we allow ourselves to more easily impute evil motives 
on another person then it is to see some good we may only end up being shocked 
to discover the REAL enemy standing far closer then we would like the next 
time we brush our teeth. 				:-)

>Melinda Shore                                    shore@ncifcrf.gov

Best Regards,

# Mike Gore 
# Institute for Computer Research. ( watmath!mgvax!root - at home )
# These ideas/concepts do not imply views held by the University of Waterloo.