Does making a racist joke make the teller a racist?

There was a massive thread about this in SC a while ago.

According to some, it isn't possible to make a racist joke without actually being a racist.

For those less touchy, words are just words unless loaded with malignant intent.

People will take things as they will - some just LOVE to get offended, for some reason.

That's life.
 
1 person complained despite me clearly labelling it as a joke, and several friends laughing at the fact it was clearly racist when I myself am not a racist. What annoys me the most is that if I read something on Facebook that I find offensive, then I'll just leave the page. I don't feel the need to post something derogatory toward the poster, especially if I don't even know them.

Pestilence said:
There was a massive thread about this in SC a while ago.

According to some, it isn't possible to make a racist joke without actually being a racist.

For those less touchy, words are just words unless loaded with malignant intent.

People will take things as they will - some just LOVE to get offended, for some reason.

That's life.
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I think that's what I was looking for, the word 'intent'. There was no intentions to offend anybody, god help some of them if they have to watch stand up or something. Roy Chubby Brown or Bernard Manning would be the antichrist!
 
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K1LLSW1TCH said:
I think that's what I was looking for, the word 'intent'. There was no intentions to offend anybody, god help some of them if they have to watch stand up or something. Roy Chubby Brown or Bernard Manning would be the antichrist!
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That's exactly it.

Words mean nothing until they're loaded. I can refer to my wife as a "****" (begins with "c", must fully star swearies) in different situations - she'll laugh when it's a joke, she'll get annoyed when I've truly meant it. The intention of the word forms how it is interpreted.

Seems quite a few people just don't get that.
 
Pestilence said:
For those less touchy, words are just words unless loaded with malignant intent.
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As somebody who is brown that's pretty much what I think. I don't mind a good joke (even at the expense of brown people), but it's whether there are any latent undertones of it being vindictive or not.

But there are other factors. Who says it, in what situation, how they're saying it as well.
 
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Greenlizard0 said:
But there are other factors. Who says it, in what situation, how they're saying it as well.
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That's all part of the loading.

It's not exactly hard to figure out how someone has meant what they've said - especially if you know the individual on a personal level.

How they've said it, the context in which they've said etc. all point towards the intention. It's not particularly hard to tell whether certain things have been said in jest or with malice. A lot of people seem to think that it isn't possible to engage certain stereotypes or other missives without intending hurt, which is just ridiculously wrong.
 
What was the joke? I'd say it depends on whether the joke has any wit or merit of it's own or whether it's just LOL ******* and nothing more.

Even then, you're on risky ground.
 
True racism is: a white guy making a black joke and people being offended, but a black guy making a white joke and the same people laugh
 
You may not offend your friends but anyone else, who knows. With the “political correctness” we have these days you could be branded that way. Even being a comedian may not spare you a “racist” tag.
 
I facilitate Equality & Diversity courses so here is my answer -
No it doesn't make you racist but it makes you ignorant.
There was no intent to upset but was there any real need to say it?
 
this racist rubbish is normaly blown out of proportion i hear chris rock all ways saying white jokes taking the pee out of white peeps and no one cares and thats on tv,dvd etc.

and what really annoys me is on balls of steel the black militant guy he goes up to white people when they are at work trying to help him and tries to say they are being racist etc.
 
I don't think it makes you ignorant.

I've made the odd race joke in the past, and although I don't really think about it too much, it probably just shows that I couldn't give a damn about someones race..surely the people who go 'OMG RACIST!!!!!!1!' are the ones who have the problem.

Sure there's some quote about the sinful seeing the devil in everything...
 
D.Roberts said:
this racist rubbish is normaly blown out of proportion i hear chris rock all ways saying white jokes taking the pee out of white peeps and no one cares and thats on tv,dvd etc.

and what really annoys me is on balls of steel the black militant guy he goes up to white people when they are at work trying to help him and tries to say they are being racist etc.
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:confused:
Do you not understand that millitant black guy is about what you've just said?

He isn't REALLY claiming they were racist. :confused:
 
dmpoole said:
I facilitate Equality & Diversity courses so here is my answer -
No it doesn't make you racist but it makes you ignorant.
There was no intent to upset but was there any real need to say it?
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That'll do me.
 
If you are a white person telling a joke about a black person then yes.

If you are a black person telling a joke about a white person then no.
 
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