Inappropriate
What are the most risky jokes to make? Jokes about the Holocaust? Jokes about suicide? Jokes about killing puppies? Suicide doesn’t get you into as much trouble as long as they’re very generic. Going specific — joking about shutting yourself in your garage and hanging yourself for example — lessens your odds of applying to people around you (or rather, people they knew), but increases the potential fallout if it does apply.
Trouble is, most of the time when making a joke, you want it to be funny to the smallest number of people possible that includes all the people around you. Since in general, the fewer people who get a joke, the funnier it is. But you have to go completely the other way when dealing with tastelessness.
If Hitler comes up in conversation, for instance, your instincts may subconsciously remind you that someone in the conversation is Jewish. If you twig onto this cleverly, you won’t make any jokes. If it just sits in the back of your mind, you may actually decide that your joke about gassing heaps of people to death will be funnier because there’s someone around you that knows about that.
Of course, I’d never be that stupid.
In other news — the parents are returning! If my lazy, good for nothing brother hasn’t done some serious tidying today, then he’s toast. He seems to think that going on a weekend camp to help disabled people is his high moral ground ticket to do nothing around the house.
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Jack
October 9th, 2004 at 8:23 am
I empathise.
Although surely in this modern era, you would think holocaust jokes are safer than suicide jokes. Apparently not. Because while people our age might have had a friend commit suicide, I promise you those same people don’t actually know anyone that was killed in WW2.
Despite the fact it was almost 50 years ago we still have people in the current generation claiming deep emotional ties to the whole thing.
That might be fair enough, and I’m not trying to have a go at those people. It just seems funny to me that we can make games and movies about horrific events that happened only 10 years ago but we can’t make a Holocaust joke in front of certain people who weren’t even alive at the time. And we aren’t even talking about particular offensive comments. I’m sure just mentioning Hitler in the context of Jews is enough.
I mean if you can’t joke about humanities mistakes what else can you do? Learn from them? That’s funny.
Jack
October 9th, 2004 at 8:29 am
And obviously when I say “almost” fifty years ago I mean “over”. Just in case anyone was going to point out I don’t know when WW2 happened.
Andy
October 9th, 2004 at 4:50 pm
Those jews, what idiots! Imagine lettting yourself be gassed.
Does that sound insensitive? Holocaust jokes involve religion and tragedy. You need to be doubly careful.
Tom
October 10th, 2004 at 12:01 pm
It can still be a parent’s parent, who you could feel close to if described intently enough by your parent.
Still, there should be a set time period after which it’s open slather. I should point out the person who I made the joke in front of was very cool about it, and just teased me that she could’ve made me feel really guilty.
Jack
October 10th, 2004 at 12:52 pm
Even a ‘parent’s parent’ is starting to sound a bit convoluted. Considering that such a person would have had to survive the holocaust anyway in order to have the person parent’s. Second hand information from someone who survived the holocaust doesn’t seem like it would have a huge emotional impact on a child.
I’ve no doubt your friend took it fine. I remember certain people however getting notably offended. I just think our generation is too young for the holocaust to have any impact on us. Maybe I’m just a cynic but I can’t help but think that people CHOOSE to make an issue out of it.
Anyway this blog is like SOO last week. I’m moving onto the election one now.
Andrew
October 10th, 2004 at 3:36 pm
Re. most inappropriate jokes, Billy Connolly made a good attempt the other day by saying of the (now dead, then living) British hostage in Iraq “Don’t you just wish they would just get on with it?” At least people waited until Hitler had killed the six million Jews before they started making jokes about it.
The ultimate tabboo I’d have to say would be paedophilia jokes. I’ve heard a couple of attempts since all the arrests the other week – none taking full advantage of the potential for poor taste though.
Anyone interested in hearing a comedian whose only purpose is telling unfunny poor taste jokes should check out Neil Hamburger. As a sampler, here are two of his ‘jokes’:
“Why did Julia Roberts rub shit on her vagina? (Awkward pause) Because she was horny.”
“Why did Michael Jackson dangle a baby over a hotel balcony? (Awkward pause) He was punishing the kid for not finishing his plate of sperm.”
Mattt
October 10th, 2004 at 9:54 pm
Why did Hitler kill himself?
The Jews sent him a gas bill!
What sweet did Hitler hate more than any other?
Jew Jew Beans……But I heard he enjoyed them roasted!
Have you heard about Hitler’s new microwave oven?
It seats 500!
Andy
October 11th, 2004 at 2:58 pm
I’m with you Jackson. Time to go to the election blog. This is getting uncomfortable.
Tom
October 11th, 2004 at 5:45 pm
These are fantastic bad taste jokes. Keep ‘em coming.
I found some people the other day who hadn’t heard all the dead baby jokes (i.e. what’s green and shiny and sits in the corner? a baby wrapped in glad wrap). They were amusingly shocked.
hayko
October 12th, 2004 at 8:09 am
I am shocked that no one likes a good eccentric joke. Secondly, Tom mentioned that the less people, the better a joke? What if only I get it? ;-)
I’m not sure if they really waited. How else do you keep up hope during war times, if not by making jokes? =)
Tom
October 12th, 2004 at 9:30 am
I’m sure the jews were making jokes during the holocaust (e.g. Life is Beautiful), but I doubt they were about their friends getting gassed.
Ah, the limit of less people is 2 I’m afraid. If it’s just you, it’s not a joke.