What subjects are UNACCEPTABLE to make jokes about?

Question

I think..rape , the holocaust, and another person's race..

What else do you think?


Do you agree that some subjects are just out of bounds for humour??

If so..Why?

If not ..Why not??

Answer 1

I would say any joke that makes fun of a group of people, such as Mexicans, blacks, blondes, and so forth.

Your point about the holocaust is well-taken, too. There are some subjects that are so sad that they aren't funny, like leper jokes.

I would say that any joke that stereotypes a group of people or leaves me with a "funny taste in my mouth" is inappropriate.

Answer 2

None
I love tasteless humour: holocaust jokes, 9/11, disasters etc. In fact some people find it a way of dealing with grief. Check out the tsunami song from the Miss Jones show. The whole point is that it is a joke. There used to be a tasteless jokes Usenet group, but nowadays the jokes aren't really tasteless. I don't think that any subject is out of bounds for humour. If people are offended then they don't have to listen. I do, however, think that humour is inappropriate in some contexts e.g. a dead baby joke in a maternity ward.

Answer 3

Well you pretty much covered everything, except murders.

Yes i do agree that some subjects are just out of bounds for humour. Like let's use some of the examples. Somebody making fun of the holocaust is just plain wrong. I mean how do you even find humour in that typw of thing. Innocent helpless people were tortured and slaughtered. How can you even make fun of that i mean, like oh my gosh. I mean also rape. How can you sit there and make fun of someone's physical and emotional pain. rape is only pleasure for the rapist. The victim is hurt and feels completely helpless and violated. How do you make fun of that. you shouldnt even make fun of the rapist, he or she is sick. I mean come on here. Some things really should be kept away from the humourous category. All things are not ment to be made fun of.

Answer 4

its not the subjects that are out of bounds but the context and company - some people may not find some subjects funny. while others might - for example
would rape be an ok subject if talking about a woman doing it to a man?
would jokes about the holocaust be acceptable if the punch line was the creation of israel (and this is a true one)
is it ok to make fun of white people?

Answer 5

In my opinion no topic should be outside the boundaries of humour so long as people know that it was only a harmless joke - having said that I do feel that it can be difficult to define the boundary between just for humour and malicious mockery. So in public interest I would draw the line at disabilties, rape, race and a persons bowel habits!

Answer 6

A joke is a joke in my opinion it doesn't matter what it is about. Some people may be offended by jokes but others will laugh.

Here is a selection of jokes that I think are funny:

What have Gareth Gates and Harold Shipman got in common?
Neither can finish their sentance!!!

Two sharks one said to the other fancy fish for tea? The other said Nahh fancy going to Morcombe for some Chinese?

What did santa give the asians for Christmas?
A big wave!!!

Why were people sending fairy liquid to the asians?
Because they were all washing up on the shore!!!

Some may be offended by these jokes but others will think they are very funny.

Answer 7

I would say that people with disabilities and Mental health problemns are out of bounds for being made jokes of.Racist jokes can be very offensive but are to be found in every walk of life as every race feels they are the best and will provoke fun at another.

Answer 8

It's not so much the subject. For instance a racial joke can be funny without offending:

"He's so white that he almost broke the broomstick stuck up his butt when he tried to dance..."

I think you'll find that the situation and those involved make or break a jokes unacceptability.

Answer 9

Hi! We should put this into two catagories, jokes and common sense...

or look at it this way... a time and a place!

a comedian go's on stage, he makes a few joke's relgion, he makes a few jokes about his missus...

a person walks out onto the street... and starts saying jokes in a deeply religious area... where comedians are not a virtue of democratic society...(if you could call us that!) you are going too get responses that are radical and you are going to get in the other fits of laughter...

we shouldn't hurt peoples feelings... but there has to come a point where common sense prevails, when something is given a light hearted view.

i mean come on the world is so full of war for ridiculous reasons... i would have thought a bit of laughter, even if it is at someones expense is better than war... its a good feeling not bad... ride along with it. (but not at the wrong time).

i'm half Polish... half English... i have very strong views, i can be topical, i have pride in both counties of my ancestors... i have my dislikes for both also!

if someone refers to me as a stupid pole in a light hearted way... i'm not offended.

if someone has a dig at polish society or calls me a white person (which is also a form of racial abuse as any!)
i am not offended... why?

Coz they are not worth it... perhaps the leaders should take note at this point!

Answer 10

Though I, of course, understand that all three subjects you mention, in reality, have a very serious aspect. I have heard jokes about all of them that made me laugh. It is more a sense of levels of taste. I think we also have our own subjects that strike a raw chord. Cultural backgrounds influence what we find hilarious or offensive. Weather we laugh at a particular joke or not depends also upon our own perception of humour.

Answer 11

I agree with you about the subjects you mentioned,however these days you will find that any subject that is made fun of is bound to offend someone,somewhere........
Personally I find jokes about child abuse appalling and get really annoyed about them,so I suppose my answer is yes(long way of saying a 3 letter word...lol)