It first started out that only African American comedians (Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle) could make fun of both blacks and whites. Stand up routines that would last for hours making fun of racial topics that a white comedian could even think about. Hilarious insights were made on racial and cultural values of both African Americans and White people and there wasn't an ounce of controversy over the subject.
Now these topics that were once taboo are breaking into Prime time television. Now, it is acceptable for popular shows like; "The Office", "30 Rock", "Family Guy" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm", to address topics of race and make entire episodes centered around it. Casts of white people poke fun at the ironies and awkwardness that often exists between races in America. “Remarkable people, the Blacks,” Alec Baldwin says on an episode of “30 Rock” on NBC. “Musical, very athletic, but not very good swimmers, and again, I’m talking about the family.” Where did this sudden surge come from? Is racism a subject that we should all just laugh about and pretend that everything is okay?
What kind of effect does this type of humor have on people of other races? We have all seen shows that stereotype different races and make jokes about all different types of people and the majority of us may find them funny. Perhaps, we never stop to think though about how these racial remarks come off to African Americans or any other race that is made fun of. Maybe we shouldn't be so concerned with what a simple television programs says in effort to entertain us. Maybe we don't pay enough attention to how these programs might be shaping our opinions or what impressions we might be getting for fictional characters that will be applied in a reality that we live in.
One personal experience that I had not too long ago was when I had gone to pick up a pizza with a friend of mine. I entered and approached the register and a young man maybe in high school began to speak to me in a thick Middle Eastern accent. The only problem was the fact that he was not the least bit Middle Eastern. His buddies laughed in the back as the cashier tried to speak to me like Apu, a popular Middle Eastern character on a television program. I paid and left to him shouting, "Thank you come again," in his Middle Eastern accent. Is this funny?
Why is this humor so acceptable?
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39 comments:
I think everyone wants to ignore or forget the fact that the issue of race is still in the air. Because of this, they try and make the issue of race funny and in some cases, I think it works. Some of the most popular shows right now use this kind of humor. Is that why these shows are so popular right now? Or are there other reasons?
I believe that humor involving race is only becoming more acceptable because the line is continually being pushed on racist comments and jokes. I don't necessarily agree that it should be more acceptable, but I believe that the media has desensitized us to racial jokes. However, the media could also make it less acceptable, if they chose to. Perhaps, it can go either way.
Personally, I am guilty of watching numerous Chris Rock comedic shows, and I am sure I laughed uncontrollably at certain parts. However, I remember asking myself, "Can he really say these things on television?" Also, many of you may be familiar with the popular "Diversity Day" episode from "The Office." It's a riot. Again, I guess I find this humor quite funny because as time goes by, we are becoming more and more exposed to it. This post poses a good point though...I probably should think twice before laughing at such jokes. I suppose it is just a way of ignoring the true problems that still exist today.
I agree with the above posts. Yeah, there are jokes about every single enthinicity out there. That doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing, but it doesn't make it a good thing either. It can become bad if we start to stereotype people into those roles, so perhaps it shouldn't be such a mass media thing.
I once heard somebody say...."the reason that a joke is funny is that there is a tiny hint of something real behind it." in racial/racist humor....I think that there is almost always a hint of truth behind it (which is the cause for the stereotype in the first place) and it's that hint of truth that we laugh at and say..."man...i know that's only a TINY bit true...but that was funny."
I agree with the above posts. I also think it's a good thing for one to laugh about their culture or up-bringing because then you won't be so serious all the time. Every culture has something different or what seems different to another culture. So if you can just keep your head up high when jokes are said, I think you will be better for it.
I agree with Jessica Black's post. We live in a society where we daily deal with a lot of weighty issues. The last thing we want to do when we go home and turn on our televisions is watch something dealing these issues again. So these programs attempt to push the issues to the side and even poke fun at them, taking a little bit of the edge off the topic for us. I believe this can be a good thing, unless of course the humor leads to incorrect judgements or stereotypes or attempt to belittle a race.
I agree that its healthy for us to be able to laugh at ourselves and laugh with each other. I always think the mormon type jokes are funny and I'm guilty of many, but for some reason it is always more offensive when someone else does it. I guess there is a fine line that we need to walk
When watching blacks make fun of their own race, situation, and such...why do I laugh? I have no idea but it's funny. Joking much of the time doesn't need to offend people. In fact sometimes it shouldn't. My roommate is native american and in his culture humor and making fun of themselves and whites it just a way of life. Joking between races is funny. It can also cross a line, especially when intended to.
I agree that it is a good thing for us to be able to laugh at ourselves and even our own culture. I also believe that humor involving race is becoming more and more acceptable. I think it is a way for our society to mask its uncomfortable feelings about race. People aren't sure how to deal with race so they decide to make jokes about it.
I agree with Trevor. It's a weird situation when you are able to make fun of only the group you belong to. Oddly, if you are listening in on a conversation where someone is making fun of themselves, the you agree and join in...you probably shouldn't have. Interesting...
I'm also with Trevor and Charlotte, as long as we are self-deprecating, we can say all we want about being whatever race, body shape, sex, etc. However, when it comes to Alec Baldwin stereotyping black people by saying they are good swimmers, musical, but bad swimmers is on the offensive side. Maybe since we are in a society that is becoming rapidly more tolerant, allowance of racial jokes and mimicking accents is becoming the norm. At times humorous and since we know it's in jest we can laugh it off, but other times where do we pull the plug?
I think racial humor stems from a lack of respect and lack of maturity. While racism is a folly of the natural man, we must draw near to Heavenly Father in order to deflect this negative mindset. Unfortunately, the media desensitizes us to believe racism is acceptable. While it may be a struggle for many people, all should strive to have a more Godlike mindset.
Racial humor has become such a popular topic in tv and film because they are able to get away with saying things that we arent able to get away with in real life. To stereotypically tease a race when the race is right there in front of the person in a humorous way is not only funny to us but also it feeds us a level of rebellion that we could never feel in real life. Racial humor exists and succeeds because emotional it fulfills our need for humor but also for excitement and rebellion.
My wife and I are avid fans of the office. We've seen every episode since the show's conception. Yes, it's dang funny, but I hope we don't all really find it entertaining because we think it's making fun of race. On the contrary, the premise of the show is to make fun of those who are ignorant of differences—especially ethnical. That ignorance, I would propose, is the element of truth that we all see in ourselves, and that creates the humor. Who hasn't done something stupid with regard to race and then wished they could stick their foot in their mouth?
That pizza experience would have been so annoying to me. I hope the pizza was good.
Humor is a great indicator of cultural situations. The evolution of race-based jokes in America would be an interesting study. I think there is a fine line to having those jokes be offensive or ingenius. A good comedian is someone who has mastered that art. I think race-besed jokes can be hilarious.
If we all lightened up then our lives would be so much better! One of the greatest things in life can come from having a good old laugh at yourself. Racism defined obviously has negative connotations, usually because racist behavior is almost always aggressive. What if there was a way to redefine the word racism; lets have a laugh at ourselves, yea, I can't jump to save my life, but my black mate can. He can't swim to save his life, but I can (not that well though). Lets all loosen up, liven up and have a good laugh at ourselves. If you cant laugh at yourself to start with, i wouldn't suggest having a laugh at someone else though!
PS. Chris Rock is a disgrace.
Like many others I am guilty at laughing and finding humor in these kinds of jokes. I think jokes based on race are following the same path that violence has. Slowly over time greater and greater amounts of violence have become acceptable on television. Now racially charged jokes are following that same path.
The big problem with this is where is this leading us? Is there a line that cannot be crossed or will the envolope continue to be pushed? How long will I find humor in this before I think its gone too far?
I also think that the jokes on the office about different races are hilarious. I would never actually make any of these jokes but still find them hilarious which is pretty sad. Hopefully jokes about different races wont start getting worse since the American public is becoming more immune to racial humor.
in a world where "color-blindness" is wrongly promoted as the solution to racism, i think perhaps it is becoming popular to joke about other races to make it seem like racism is all in the past and everyone is okay now.
I think the whole racist humor thing stems somewhat from the shock value involved. What the original comedians used got attention and brought them success. Now that same type of humor has diffused throughout all these other shows. I also think that sometimes when something is awkward we tend to make it into a joke instead of really dealing with the issue. Maybe this is the case with racism. It doesn't make it right, but it makes us feel like it's not as big of an issue since we can joke about it.
I think that there are some lines that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to racism and racist remarks. Some things that are said can be very hurtful. But i also feel that humor is a powerful tool for good. When you laugh at something you take its power away. I see nothing wrong with tasteful jokes that blur cultural boundaries.
I think that when it comes to "racial humor" we find ourselves laughing at stereotypes as a way to ignore or soften the issue of racism. Is it wrong? Probably, but we all can admit that we've found humor in something of the sort. The way I see it, these constant jokes have desensitized our view on race and made serious issues, laughable.
I think there's a very thin line between what is funny and acceptable and what is considered tasteless. I think Chappelle and Steve Carrell get away with it because their jokes are more of a parody on society instead of cheap shots on a different race. Like I said, it's a thin line and I'd be careful about getting close to it.
I think as much as the media wants to prevent racism they are actually contributing to it by advertising it. When it comes to the humor, I think it is more of a joke on stereotypes. I don't think it is right but it is what is being considered humor right now.
I think we are definitely desensitized to racial jokes and comments in the media. To be honest, I can't stand movies and shows that have plots and scenarios that are copmletely centered around racial jokes. It is funny for only so long, and really is it good for our society? I think to an extent, it is ok, but we often step over the line of what is appropriate.
I agree that racial jokes are becoming more prevalent on television and don't necessarily think it is a bad thing. Of course, jokes that are blatantly inappropriate should not be aired. But some jokes are very funny and help us to realizes the silliness of stereotypes we hold. For far too long people have avoided the taboo subject of race in America and I think it's something that needs to be discussed. Last night on The Office, Michael said to Stanley, an African American after he collapsed, "No no no no you will not die! Stanley! Stanley you will not die! Stanley! Stanley! Barack is president! You are black Stanley!"
It is true, they cross the line way too often. Nobody should be made fun of about something they cannot control such as color of skin - and the stereotypes associated with it. The book mentioned something interesting. IT said that it used to be that "I am ok, and you're ok", but now it's "I'm not ok, and you're and idiot". What has today's mentality come to? Why do we continually belittle others instead of building them up?
To me, the problem with these jokes is that people begin seeing them as truth. The stereotypes become the lens through which the hearers view the world and can affect the way they interact with people from any race other than their own.
It seems to me that there is a double standard in race humor. Everyone can poke fun of whites, but whites can't make fun of non-whites. Now, I'm not agreeing with this type of humor. I think humor shouldn't be used to belittle anyone. If the racial joke is belittling a human being, then it is not appropriate. We should use humor wisely.
I think the reason why we think it is funny is because the media makes it funny. Example is with Kelly from the office. She is from India but is full on American in the way she talks and acts. Michael Scott seems to bring out her culture to make the show funny.
Humor is acceptable because it is transcendent. Every person, no matter what race, enjoys laughter. I attended a play at BYU and it was a comedy about the Holocaust. It was about a Jewish family getting ready for their yearly dinner (I can't remember what it's called) and they are all telling jokes about the HOlocaust. The point of the show is that, horrible things happen, and you do not disrespect the people that suffered but you can choose to cry about it and laugh about it. One line of the play was, we have suffered so much that we have earned the right to laugh. Racisim exists today. Shows like The Office and 30 Rock address the fact that people in America are ignorant of other races. You can make that observation in a funny way or a serious way. Either way, people will notice.
I think that people think they are 'above' being considered racist, and they hide behind the guise of humor. They are pushing the envelope, trying to be remembered for what they said. They act differently than they say, and they think they can get away with anything just because it's on TV.
There is a fine line between funny and rude. I think it's great that as a society we are becoming more and more cognitive of stereotypes. I think it's important that we realize that people are individuals and may not be what our socially constructed stereotypes tells us they should be.
Americans see racism as a thing of the past, so now it's no longer taboo to make racist comments. Since racism is now a thing of the past, it is ok for popular TV programs to satirize the matter. It's an interesting phenomenon, really. I don't agree with it, but it's happening.
That's a good question that I've been thinking about too. Is it really funny? Is it okay? I guess from you aspect you can argue that at least it's making the mood lighter. I mean, we're all a little shallow and do notice physical differences whether or not it's race, height, gender, hair color, etc. For some reason or another we have a hard time getting along with people who don't look or act like us and we have big social discussion over tolerance because we can't figure it out on our own. So I guess one way to ease the tension is just to laugh about it. Does it perpetuate stereotypes? Yea. Does it create harmful stereotypes or perpetuate racism? I don't know. Does it make us treat each other with more respect because we realize the silliness of our stereotypes? (at least that's how I feel when I watch the office. I think "Michael, really? Really you're buying into that stereotype?") I don't know either. I guess time will tell, but as of yet I haven't seen racial conditions worsen.
If we can start joking about other races, it could be a sign that cultures are blending a little bit more and we are becoming less defensive about our own culture.
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