To: lonesomemoose1 who wrote (71977 ) 9/26/2006 2:56:09 PM From: diana g Read Replies (5) | Respond to <OT> About 'Offensive' Jokes --- People tell jokes about other people. This is just human nature. The Japanese tell jokes about Koreans and visa versa. Norwegians tell Swedish jokes and visa versa. The French and English have jokes about each other. This is universal. In my opinion it doesn't really indicate anything about someone if they tell a joke about some ethnic group. If I hear a joke about a Scotsman who "...was so cheap that..." I don't infer that the joke-teller is bigoted against Scots. But if someone jumps up to declare that joke offensive, I think their reaction says a lot about them. Especially if they aren't a member of the group being joshed and are being offended on someone else's behalf. What's behind that do you suppose? Although people who are quick to be offended by harmless ethnic jokes usually think of themselves as having high-minded principles which inspire their outrage, I suspect there are very different causes underlying their reactions. "...I must be the luckiest Arab in Belfast!" (which I liked a lot, btw) they just play on human foolishness as it manifests itself in different groups and individuals. Most jokes' intention is not to insult or demean anyone in any serious way. And intention is the important thing, isn't it? The intention of the joke-teller, I mean. Is it ever appropriate to take offense when no offense was intended?
