Can Racism Be Funny?

Ruth_Gough · 29/03/14 - 03:40

HERE IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE: http://youtu.be/raYVqwTGBZc

- Does everyone find this funny or is it just me? Can racism be funny when put in a movie or on tv? I suppose another example would be Robert Downey Junior's excellent but very risky performance in the movie Tropic Thunder.

Anyhoo - let battle commence? Your thoughts and examples please:

Billy_Value · 29/03/14 - 03:42

casual racism is accepted and usually goes over peoples head

Ruth_Gough · 29/03/14 - 03:46

Ok thanks, but what do you think would be your exact definition of Casual Racism? I think, well… it is tricky to put into exact words. If 'Art' is involved like comedy wrintng for example it helps.

Arcana · 29/03/14 - 03:50

A lot of comedy is based on people being insensitive, crass, socially inept, saying things that the vast majority of us would be too embarrassed or otherwise inhibited to say even if we were thinking it etc.

Billy_Value · 29/03/14 - 03:51

i remember eating Chinese food and was dipping my egg foo yung in a sauce and actually said i'm lippin my egg foo yung and i said sorry meant, dipping, it must be cause we are eating Chinese and twas laughed off,

i think if casual racism is in TV programmes and radio and as such it is much more accepted than if someone said it in more official surroundings, that being Said i think each person as there own idea of the racial marker, what is deemed acceptable to some could really offend someone else

and don't get me started on people playing the race card just to get something >:(

iiHEARTy0u · 29/03/14 - 03:55

Comedy from racism is usually the stereotype kind which can be funny.

Bex7t6 · 29/03/14 - 03:57

Robert Downey Junior's role was playing up to racist stereotypes that whites often have about black people. It was funny racist because he was poking fun at racists. At least that's what I think his character was intended to portray. I could be wrong.

Racism in general is only funny if you are racist IMO.

Edited;

Billy_Value · 29/03/14 - 03:57

iiHEARTy0u wrote: »

Comedy from racism is usually the stereotype kind which can be funny.

Irish - potatoes
Scottish - drunk
English - bag a chips with a light ale

Bex7t6 · 29/03/14 - 04:01

Billy_Value wrote: »

Irish - potatoes
Scottish - drunk
English - bag a chips with a light ale

Your examples are stereotypes about nationality not race.

Ruth_Gough · 29/03/14 - 04:01

iiHEARTy0u wrote: »

Comedy from racism is usually the stereotype kind which can be funny.

That's what I was going to say, but thinking about it. Isn't a stereotype (when referring to an example of a race of people), in itself racist?

Relly · 29/03/14 - 04:04

I personally don't think racism can be funny. I don't want to click on a Youtube link because nowadays posting links on forums like this can be an attempt to garner hits, to make something go viral. A Youtube vid with racism in it? I'm certainly not giving it a hit to help it to go viral. Call me a killjoy if you want, but hey ho.

iiHEARTy0u · 29/03/14 - 04:04

Ruth_Gough wrote: »

That's what I was going to say, but thinking about it. Isn't a stereotype (when referring to an example of a race of people), in itself racist?

When you watch comedies their are many characters who play up to their stereotypes too. So it goes hand in hand imo.

Aneechik · 29/03/14 - 04:05

If a joke can be made of someone's looks, their weight, their hair colour, their gender, their mannerisms, their voice, the way they walk, etc, then yes a joke can also be made of their skin colour too. It's just another facet of physical appearance.

Relly · 29/03/14 - 04:07

Aneechik wrote: »

If a joke can be made of someone's looks, their weight, their hair colour, their gender, their mannerisms, their voice, the way they walk, etc, then yes a joke can also be made of their skin colour too. It's just another facet of physical appearance.

Well, no it isn't. All the things you listed can be changed, but being a different skin colour can't be, not ever.

Aneechik · 29/03/14 - 04:08

Relly wrote: »

Well, no it isn't. All the things you listed can be changed, but being a different skin colour can't be, not ever.

Michael Jackson managed it.

iiHEARTy0u · 29/03/14 - 04:11

Aneechik wrote: »

Michael Jackson managed it.

He had a skin condition.

Bex7t6 · 29/03/14 - 04:12

Aneechik wrote: »

Michael Jackson managed it.

Haha haha.........not funny;-)

[Deleted User] · 29/03/14 - 04:20

Funny when it was once the basis of the most ridiculous storyline in UK soap Coronations Street's history - which was around "playing the white man".

No-one watching had ever heard of the term being used, let alone it being a derogatory one.

Naa_KwaKai · 29/03/14 - 05:05

Will Ferrell is just not funny; I really don't understand what people see in him and that joke is so old hat. When people laugh at his jokes I feel like an alien whose from a galaxy far away. His jokes are something a 10 year old can cook up.

I loved RDJ in Tropic Thunder because it took me some time to realise it was HIM! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwkCXz_Kohs

The funniest type of racism I've personally witnessed is when white people are being awkward and racist around black people and they don't even realise it.

balthasar · 29/03/14 - 06:32

One of my black friends once said I'm black but she's too black for me, I really did not think to carry around a colour chart:):)

NX-74205 · 29/03/14 - 06:34

Anything can be funny. There should be no boundaries in comedy!

balthasar · 29/03/14 - 07:03

NX-74205 wrote: »

Anything can be funny. There should be no boundaries in comedy!

I do agree, a sense of dark humour can save us from acting all continental

imrightok · 29/03/14 - 07:21

NX-74205 wrote: »

Anything can be funny. There should be no boundaries in comedy!

Why? What Is so special about'comedy' that it should have no boundaries?

JB3 · 29/03/14 - 07:48

Ruth_Gough wrote: »

HERE IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE: http://youtu.be/raYVqwTGBZc - Does everyone find this funny or is it just me? Can racism be funny when put in a movie or on tv? I suppose another example would be Robert Downey Junior's excellent but very risky performance in the movie Tropic Thunder.

Anyhoo - let battle commence? Your thoughts and examples please:

It is funny, but only because we are laughing at the stupid white guy.

I think that's what those tv shows in the 60/70's did too, although many of the stupid white people didn't realise that.

kippeh · 29/03/14 - 07:55

imrightok wrote: »

Why? What Is so special about'comedy' that it should have no boundaries?

Because if something is funny, it's funny. Regardless.

Alan1981 · 29/03/14 - 09:25

Not really. Although some black comedians have made their careers on jokes about racial stereotypes.

Hey there!

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