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Political incorrectness I do miss it!

(250 Posts)
NanKate Wed 18-Jun-14 20:35:00

There are so many things it is now inappropriate to make jokes about.

As I said on another thread my grandmother was a scriptwriter for my grandad in the music hall. He would tell jokes to the audience about his wife that would now be thought inappropriate. My Nan used to laugh as she had written them all.

I used to love watching 'Life on Mars' at D.I. Gene Hunt with all his sexist comments. I didn't agree with what he said, just how he said it.

Have we lost our sense of humour ?

Tegan Thu 17-Jul-14 18:58:03

They will because they made a film of The Lone Ranger recently with Johnny Depp wink....

Ana Thu 17-Jul-14 18:59:17

Did the film feature the William Tell overture?

Tegan Thu 17-Jul-14 19:21:03

I knew someone would ask that blush; I need to look at the dvd and see if it says anything. It must surely have done!

jinglbellsfrocks Thu 17-Jul-14 19:30:51

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TriciaF Thu 17-Jul-14 21:29:12

Well they call us "rosbifs".

Nonu Thu 17-Jul-14 21:40:59

Caribbean folk call us "honkys"

Australians call us "limeys "

rosequartz Thu 17-Jul-14 21:44:26

Australians call us a lot worse than that, Nonu!

bloody pommie bastard

feetlebaum Thu 17-Jul-14 21:48:40

Some French people call the English 'les f*ckoffs' - mostly where the less sophisticated Brits infest holiday resorts...

HollyDaze Fri 18-Jul-14 15:46:39

Black people also call us 'Casper' and some German people call us 'inselaffe' (means 'island ape' or 'island monkey'). I can't imagine many British people getting upset about those, probably more likely to laugh!

NanKate Fri 18-Jul-14 19:34:40

In the newspaper today 2 men have been (quite wrongly in my opinion) accused of being racist for dressing up and blacking up for a Carnival as Venus and Serena Williams.

They look like two Pantomime Dames and I couldn't stop laughing when I saw the photos. Do look online for the pictures.

Right I am behind my barricade. grin

Ana Fri 18-Jul-14 19:46:37

I aagree, NanKate, it's getting ridiculous! Presumably if they'd dragged-up as two white women tennis players it would have been deemed OK...hmm

jinglbellsfrocks Fri 18-Jul-14 20:02:38

They could hardly have dressed up as the Williams sisters without putting on a bit of brown shoe polish.

Are black people supposed to be ashamed of being black? confused

NanKate Fri 18-Jul-14 20:10:03

Thanks you two, it's good that a sense of humour still exists.

absent Sat 19-Jul-14 03:12:13

I consider "chinky", whether intended to refer to a Chinese dish or a Chinese person, as unacceptable and discourteous as using the word Paki, which ignorant people tend to apply to anyone originating from the Indian sub-continent. Perhaps those who mourn the loss of the politically incorrect would let me know if they would be happy with people retro-naming their dogs (or in the case of the Duchess of York, pony) Nigger and buying shoe-cleaning cream in the poetic shade of nigger brown.

janeainsworth Sat 19-Jul-14 07:48:14

Nankate I think politicians and others who are guilty of hypocrisy and pomposity are fair game for caricature.
But Venus and Serena Williams are brilliant, dedicated sportswomen who through hard work and determination reached the pinnacle of success despite a less than privileged background.
I haven't looked online for the videos you found so amusing. I think that the blacking up adds an extra dimension of distastefulness to an exercise in pointless cruelty.

JessM Sat 19-Jul-14 07:50:31

Eleothan as usual goes to the heart of the matter.
There are many examples of people who feel confident making jokes about those who may not feel so confident about defending themselves and saying they don't like it. The risk is that you will be told you are being a humourless:
woman
old woman
mother in law
woman from Essex
disabled person
person from a racial minority
gay person
etc
Some of these people respond by "if you can't beat em join em" and even start telling the jokes themselves e.g. irish person telling irish-are-thick jokes.Which makes them look like a good sport, or feel like one, maybe.
If you are not a member of a particular minority you should not make assumptions that they "don't mind".
If you are not a member of a particular minority and you object on their behalf you trying to be sensitive to the fact that they find it difficult sometimes to stick up for themselves.
I think the kind of humour that makes fun of minorities is a form of bullying that can be very public or can be used in the private arena - workplaces, classrooms etc
Talented comedians do not need to resort to this cheap nastiness.
We live in a wonderfully diverse country and this mean and bullying humour is not the way to make everyone feel that their contributions to our society is welcome.

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 07:54:56

kmschultz.hubpages.com/hub/Why-is-blackface-racially--socially-and-politically-incorrect
Perhaps some of you could stop laughing for a minute and read this. The lack of thought and respect, the unawareness of history, imperialism and colonialism and its impact on various ethnic groups is truly breathtaking and profoundly depressing on ths thread #everydayracism.

GrannyTwice Sat 19-Jul-14 08:02:34

On a training course yesterday, there was a superb equality and diversity session. (Oh how very PC). It was really heartening to hear the contributions of many of the participants and to be reminded that not everyone's " thinking" is influenced by the tabloid press. One person said how using the phrases ' chip on your shoulder' and " being PC" were used by people to deflect from a sound argument they hadn't the intelligence to debate

MiceElf Sat 19-Jul-14 08:06:34

It's astonishing how some people think that their sense of 'humour' is more important than other people's hurt.

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 10:20:36

MiceElf, you have just summed up for me what I have been pondering for a couple of weeks. We have a friend with what he considers is a GSOH, but a lot of it is what I consider to be 'barrack room' humour - some very hurtful indeed. Or can one be too sensitive?

JessM Sat 19-Jul-14 10:40:44

I think it is fine to be assertive rosequartz and say "I'm afraid I don't find that kind of joke at all funny" But you have to then defend yourself because the "joker" will inevitably go on the attack and accuse you have being humourless. At which point you have to be prepared to respond with a "I don't accept that I have no sense of humour. I find many things funny but not that kind of joke"
Tedious though. Takes energy. Very tempting to do something like: "I am amazed that you think its ok to tell jokes like that - I didn't think dinosaurs like you still existed" or similar.

Nonu Sat 19-Jul-14 10:44:08

I think people change their names to more English sounding to be helpful!
I know when we are in the States and come across Indian hotel proprietors, they have changed their names and tell us that is makes it easier for their guests !

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 11:05:53

Very difficult JessM, with someone who thinks he is cleverer and wittier than everyone else but in fact makes cruel remarks and likes the last word.

thatbags Sat 19-Jul-14 11:08:57

Raised eyebrows and walking away work quite well, I find. Don't give a shit what they think of me for doing that.

rosequartz Sat 19-Jul-14 11:14:23

Very difficult when you are out with a group of people (eg seated at a dinner table).

Nothing so subtle as a raised eyebrow would get through anyway.