Xref: utzoo soc.culture.jewish:8595 news.misc:2279 alt.flame:3331
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!clong
From: clong@topaz.rutgers.edu (Chris Long)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.jewish,news.misc,alt.flame
Subject: Re: Do ethnic jokes CAUSE bigotry?
Message-ID: 
Date: 6 Dec 88 06:42:20 GMT
References: <1748YZKCU@CUNYVM> <275@acheron.UUCP> <130@verdix.verdix.com> <4204@cs.utexas.edu>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 29

In article <4204@cs.utexas.edu>, Dan Berleant writes:

> Do ethnic jokes cause bigotry?
> Sadly, the answer appears be a definite yes.

No.  I can see it now, "Hey Sally, check this joke out."  "Gee, I
guess Jews must be stingy!"  Spare me, please.  If anything, said
jokes have exactly the opposite effect.  Wanna agrue this 'til you're
blue in the face?  I'm game.

> There have been examples right here in the current discussion of ethnic
> jokes. A number of anti-semitic slurs were sent in reaction to rather
> moderate posts.

"A number of anti-semitic slurs ..."  I believe this "number" was
a whopping 2; and it must be painfully obvious to all expect the
completely brain-dead that they were sent out by an immature twit
(who may or may not be an anti-Semite) who was looking for attention
- the comments were apparently chosen for maximum shock value.

> Promoting ethnic jokes in rec.humor.funny (by the moderator, an official
> agent of usenet) has no benefit whatever, and promotes bigotry as well.

I consider laughter to be a benefit; do you disagree?
-- 
Chris (Munson)-Long

"The proofs are so obvious that they can be left to the reader."
Lars V. Ahlfors, _Complex Analysis_