Racism or funny?

Question

Last night's Al Murry's Happy Hour on ITV1 had Louis Walsh guesting , to have big Al give his usual banter of jokes and put downs. Although he's not my cup of tea, I found it mildly amusing he was giving Louis the usual stereotypical Irish-bashing verbal (little leprecaun etc). Now it got me thinking if his guest was Shilpa Shetty, and he gave her the same treatment (queen popadum etc) - I guess this morning, his head would be called for. I say yah boo sucks to PC, racism and all, and if we can't take the "p" out of each other, the world is a worse place for it. Whilst racial hatred is one thing - comedy is another. LET'S GET REAL!!!!!!

Nice one LittleLady59 - and just to add another dimension - Can you see the old TV show "Love Thy Neighbour" being "allowed" on our screens today. A white man calling his black neighbour a "nig nog" - my god! His testicals would be hanging from a tree in no time. But it's humour - geddit? Cuz in the end the white guy was the one to be made to look stupid. Whoa..irony or what. Now an MP has been sacked JUST for SAYING that while he was in the army he knew a lot of racist bullying was going on in the training. He wasn't doing it, he encouraged black officers - but still he sacked. I tell you where we are going soon, too god damn scared to say anything to anyone who has a different raced great great grandparent just in case we upset the dead, too scared to ask for a black coffee (what about that joke in "Airplane" between to the 2 young kids?),and to be seen to be totally pc,only employ disabled black lesbian transexuals as police and MP's.Me synical?Perish the thought. Just a baldyoldgit

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with the comedians you're talking about, but I know what you mean. There are many comedians in the US deliver racist humor all the time, and they're all minorities. No race or ethnic group is safe from their humor, even their own. On the other hand, the white comedians for the most part only make jokes about white people, since there would be a huge career-ending backlash if they made fun of a minority. Basically, it has to do with being the group with the appearance of power (white) not being PC if they make jokes about people not in power (all other groups). I don't see this changing any time soon. It's interesting to see that it goes on in other countries, with different limitations depending on the local PC rules of conduct. I don't see ANY insulting comedy to be okay, though, and wouldn't miss it at all if it completely went away.

Answer 2

An argument gets labled racist when its toward a coloured person even when there is no racial content in the argument, merely because the other person is coloured........so the third person that comes in i.e. the police, lables it racist, and there you go, up in court etc.
My question is this.....who is the racist really, my answer is the third person, the figure of authority whoever that may be, who stirred up the accusation of racism, when there was none in the first place.

I agree with you that we should all take a step back and become more light hearted about this issue, befor we have a war on our hands......and that will ultimatly be caused by the figures of authority and the powers that be, and not by us mere mortals.....but you can be certain that these figures of authority will blame us mere motals for causing the rift in the first place.
yes i agree its about time to GET REAL

Answer 3

It's different when both sides know their personal boundaries.
PC is a pain in the neck, and often just plain silly, but from what I've heard about Shipa Shetty (Is that right?) though I didn't watch the program, people were really nasty to her.

Whether you bring race into something or not you have to know the difference between banter and bullying.

Answer 4

I kinda see your point but it also depends on how things are being said if they are meant in a deragotary way then I would be offended but Al murray he is a comedian and you have to treat it as comedy not an offensive remark.
And as for Shilpa it was bullying plain and simple.

Answer 5

jokes are jokes im Irish and Itialian some call me the irish dego or my favorite mickey deago its like the priest jokes like if someone put you in a wrestling hold that would be called a full nelson and if someone got behind you and put his hands on your chest now that would be called a father nelson people just have to learn not to take everything so serious and relax and enjoy things for what they are Humor laff a little and it makes life a little bit easier

Answer 6

i agree. the world is a worse off place now this PC **** is at the fore. laughing at ourselves and others is a thing of the past.
i find no offence at all in a joke about an irish man just as a dont about a yank or whatever is in context to the story.

sad times we live in.

Answer 7

i totally agree. if jokes are made with no hatred intended then its fine by me. on the other hand, i could never condone nasty racist remarks about any person from any country. i think this country has taken PC too far.

Answer 8

It has got ridiculous. The big brother debate was stupid. It was bullying, which made me hate jo omera and jade goody not any racism. Stupid. Very annoying.

Answer 9

How is it racism?
The Irish are white, the same race as the British.

Answer 10

To be honest i have no smpathy for racism, if we say something nasty about black people we get loads of nasty comments and even the police involed,

But if the black call us whites you dont hear nothing! not a thing, the police would not care