Everyone's a little bit racist

[IronBrig4]

This is from a Broadway musical called Avenue Q. They're in town right now, and I saw it on opening weekend. You can download the soundtrack on iTunes if you want. It's hilarious.

Maybe they're right. Maybe our political discourse would go a lot more smoothly if everyone admitted that they're just slightly racist. We all have our prejudices. It doesn't mean that I won't serve them if they walk into the shop where I work, and it doesn't mean that I won't be friendly and polite towards them. However, I groan inwardly whenever I go to a movie theater and see some black girls there. I always think they're gonna talk really loud during the movie (ie. Scary Movie).

I think political correctness doesn't do anything to combat racism. Instead, it represses good-natured humor. Sure, racism is a problem. But the first step towards solving a problem is admitting that it exists. You can't pretend it doesn't exist by banning all racist language. So does anybody think that political correctness has accomplished anything?

"Ethnic jokes might be uncouth,
But you laugh because they're based on truth
Don't take them as personal attacks
Everyone enjoys them, so relax!"

[removeduser_487563287433]

I think there's value in making a distinction between biggotry, prejudice and racism.

[RZZZA]

anyone halfway intelligent knows the difference between real racism, and just jokes, there doesnt need to be a thread dedicated to explaining the difference to people because I think they know.

[Roshak]

Good video.

Surprisingly its got a point. And also brings something else:

Is racism actually bad? Everyone should be treated equally but we need to accept differences and not pretend we're all the same. We're not, we're different colors, different looking, different sounding and so forth. So perhaps we need to accept these differences and enjoy jokes about them without feeling racist.

[JP226]

that was really good

[IronBrig4]

anyone halfway intelligent knows the difference between real racism, and just jokes, there doesnt need to be a thread dedicated to explaining the difference to people because I think they know.

If there's a difference, then why are academic and professional careers ruined because somebody told a joke? If I told an ethnic joke to my class, I can almost guarantee that I'd be fired and disbarred from a PhD candidacy. Never mind the fact that I've never treated anybody differently based on their skin color.

I did that once, when I taught my first class. To open the semester, the aim was to dispel some of the preconceptions that they had about the "Rise of the West." Before I started to lecture, I asked them to give examples of prejudices based on race, and contributed an example of my own. The point was that racism in 19th century history textbooks was wrong. It was a very productive discussion, and everybody enjoyed it. I was later told that I could have gotten into LOADS of trouble for that.

[danzig]

I think there's value in making a distinction between biggotry, prejudice and racism.

I think the point of the song is that some people dont make that distinction hence it highlights the absurdity of it. Plus its just a fun song though the Internet one is funnier

[JP226]

anyone halfway intelligent knows the difference between real racism, and just jokes, there doesnt need to be a thread dedicated to explaining the difference to people because I think they know.

yea right! Tell that to the minority Nazis. Ask em what's long black and smells funny and see what kind of reaction you get when you say the unemployment line. It won't be a barrel of laughs.

[Eranshahr]

I really enjoy Jokes about other people,, Like our Persian jokes about the turks ( Azeri) I really laugh at them, because sometimes it is just, well the jokes are all about how they drink tea to how they go to the Mosque. And I know the difference between these jokes and Racism, But Racism always start with a small factor, and then it grows bigger. The jokes are often that factor.

[IronBrig4]

And I know the difference between these jokes and Racism, But Racism always start with a small factor, and then it grows bigger. The jokes are often that factor.

That's true, but it can all be halted if an offended person just says "seriously, shut up." I'll admit that some of my jokes can become offensive, but that's when somebody tells me to change the subject. I stop telling the jokes, and nobody argues. The situation is defused before it becomes bad.

Unfortunately, Americans tend to over-react against such jokes. There have always been people who get easily offended, but now those people have lawyers.

[Eranshahr]

Well i am not against the jokes, as I have said I like the Iranian jokes about Azeri. But as long as these jokes exists so will a start for racism do too, there is nothing to change or so.

Does regular American over react on jokes about them? I think Norwegians only laugh when Swedes jokes about them

[Condottiere SOG]

Yeah, I am just racist against racists!

[Duke_of_Bavaria]

Well i am not against the jokes, as I have said I like the Iranian jokes about Azeri. But as long as these jokes exists so will a start for racism do too, there is nothing to change or so.

Does regular American over react on jokes about them? I think Norwegians only laugh when Swedes jokes about them

Weird part is Norwegian jokes are perfectly acceptable to pull in the public while say... a black or Jewish joke aint.

[Eranshahr]

Me too Well ehm, I might be too nice toward almost-racist ( as i see them have the potential to turn back normal) and i am worse than extremists against racists. I have said that Swedes never have told me to go back to Iran or so, but my old-school was a multi-cultural school. ( mainly Swedes, Americans, brits, Iranians and Eritreans)

one day I was walking with my Iranian friends talking Persian ( I can't speak Swedish when I know someone speaks persian) and then suddenly an American said " You anti-jewish persian whore" and laughed. I was shocked, as most Americans in my school have no problems with me. Then I was very mad and everything just turned black, I punched him. Just out of nowhere I acted stupid. I was even the " Anti-bullying memeber" My class voted for me because I was like the " psychologist of the class"

Not that I say Americans are bad, and I don't care that he said " Persian whore" but the beginning " Anti-jewish" that sparked my anger.

But it is wrong to hit others and this is a mistake I only did once more ( and sometimes before that)


Duke of Bavaria- Blacks and Jews ar a sensetive group many people still in modern day hates, in our country Sweden there are the Nazis who are spreading flyers about them, Norwegians aren't hated by anybody, I promise making jokes about them will be as common as making fun of the Persian Swedish accent- Which i think I am the one making the worst jokes of

[Jonni_g_n]

that video was started well, then got a bit cliche.

referring to someone as oriental instead of asian-american is not rascist anyway. As its merely a visual description meaning eastern looking. Asian american is kinda rascist as it causes the assumption that that person is american. It always feels weird as a Brit the way americans refer to their to Black people living in their country as Afro-American, what if they don't feel american

I think it misses the point also in that people seeming not offended by rascist jokes doesn't mean they weren't deeply hurt on the inside, and the fact that someone has actually had to tell you that you are being offensive may show a lack of empathy on your part.

The only funny rascist jokes are ironic ones, which aren't offensive anyway, they are just unfortunate fact

[Miraj]

Everyone is a little bit racist. But not for the same reasons.

Some are racist out of pure evil and malcontent. Some are racist because they don't know any better and just have been raised that way. Some are racist because they are paranoid and overly fearful of the unknown. Others are racist as a way of responding to racism they've suffered.

So there is variety.

[Serious Spamurai]

There's un-PC, and there's racism. Racism is bad, un-PC is mostly just harmless fun.

[Eranshahr]

some are racist because hearing about others talking about how " We are the best and they are not good and we have jobs they are unemplyed and so on" and people believes they are ok- Influenced by far-right media.

[Owain_Glyndwr]

There are some genuine differences between races and cultures, to deny that would be naive, and we should be able to laugh about them. But when it gets to "a dog born in a barn is still a dog" style jokes, it's pushing it too far.

[RZZZA]

yea right! Tell that to the minority Nazis. Ask em what's long black and smells funny and see what kind of reaction you get when you say the unemployment line. It won't be a barrel of laughs.

Thats why I said halfway intelligent, obviously racist people are not half way intelligent.


Look at Chappelles Show, would a show like that be able to make it onto cable TV if people really were so confused about jokes and real racism? It gets really ridiculous when people think that, white people especially, for some reason are unable to make jokes about minorites, theres an invisible P.C. rope that prevents them from making risque racial jokes.