# Anything wrong with joking about AA? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968 "2013-12-22T20:16:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kantian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4bbf92/32.png) [@Kantian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantian)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/1 "2013-12-22T20:16:15Z")
Would you find anything wrong with this conversation I heard my friends have? “I’m sorry your son got deferred from the Ivies.” “Yeah, he’s inconsolable.” "You know, you could just marry a Hispanic guy or a black guy and have your last names all changed to say ‘Sanchez’ or “Rodriguez’ or … I don’t know any typical black names … I guess ‘Obama’? Yeah. That’d be impressive. [Insert son’s name] Obama. I guarantee you that if your son resubmitted his app, the results would be different.” Okay, well, that wasn’t the exact conversation they had, but it was much to that effect, and yes, the person brought up the same exact last names I mentioned above. Including “Obama.” Anything wrong with this conversation or it is just harmless fun? Just me: as I was listening I was cringing inside. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/2 "2013-12-22T20:49:48Z")
The short-lived Judd Hirsch comedy _Dear John_ didn’t have a problem with [joking about it.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPn7eUJpEJw&t=150) …oh, you meant _that_ AA. Well, I chose “4” since the joke was told in private between individuals who presumably knew the other wasn’t being directly racist, but merely criticizing the AA system itself. I would be loathe to tell such a joke in public, though. (An inappropriate example would be Larry David’s ill-advised joke in the second season of _Curb Your Enthusiasm_, which I couldn’t find a link for.) ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/3 "2013-12-22T21:02:21Z")
It’s impossible to tell without knowing the subtext. Average (by Ivy standards) white kid who already has a chip on his shoulder making a crack about “All those Sanchez’s” getting into the Ivy league when he doesn’t know the first fucking thing about it? Annoying as hell. Kid who fully realizes that anyone getting into the Ivy League these days is both pretty damn remarkable and pretty damn lucky making a crack to his Hispanic friend “Hey, will you adopt me? I need an edge!”, could be harmless and funny. I mean, it’s ok for jokes, especially private jokes, to be inappropriate. The only thing that would be cringe-worthy is if the joke seemed to suggest a festering inner sea of bitterness and resentment and cluelessness. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/4 "2013-12-22T21:22:00Z")
I have friends who are sensitive about racist jokes, and this seems to me to be a good, if low-level, example of one. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/5 "2013-12-22T21:31:42Z")
I’m not sure I understand your poll options. For example, it is harmless fun unless it’s not harmless fun. In other words, I have no problem with this conversation as long as it is known to be a joke by both parties. If one of them believes that this is a truthful statement, it moves from the category of harmless fun to the spreading of ignorance. (For example, my new receptionist started two days before our computers had some issues that required a fair amount of IT work to fix. Everyone in the office is joking that she broke QuickBooks. She was the first one to make that joke. We all know it’s not true - she hadn’t even gotten that far in her training. So it is funny \*because \*it’s not true. If someone in the office was truly grumbling that it was her fault, then that’s not funny. We’d have to make sure they understood the truth.) ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/6 "2013-12-22T21:31:50Z")
Privileged white people making jokes about how easy minorities have is always going to be cringe worthy and stupid if they actually mean it. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/7 "2013-12-22T21:38:07Z")
AA = ? as pertains to this thread.? I went to Catholic schools for 12 years, that is my excuse. Please explain. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/8 "2013-12-22T21:42:18Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > AA = ? as pertains to this thread.? > > I went to Catholic schools for 12 years, that is my excuse. Please explain. Affirmative Action. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/9 "2013-12-22T22:51:32Z")
Mostly harmless but the intent does matter, as said. If it sounds like they’re complaining, I’m not offended, just cringing. It doesn’t need to be private if a joke as I’ve heard worse from comedians. I thought AlAnon too. > [@Kantian](#): > > I don’t know any typical black names Neutral ones that aren’t religious or culturally based: Washington, Jefferson… Van Buren? No? Also Black is a very white name but White is I think is more often a black name. > [@GusNSpot](#): > > AA = ? as pertains to this thread.? > > I went to Catholic schools for 12 years, that is my excuse. Please explain. I thought AlAnon too. In Catholic schools, the only color that matters is green. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/10 "2013-12-22T23:07:52Z")
if you made jokes about anti-aircraft defense then you would get flak for that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/11 "2013-12-22T23:08:13Z")
Too bad I voted before knowing which AA it was. Didn’t make much sense. ---
**Author:** ![Cerealbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Cerealbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerealbox)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/12 "2013-12-22T23:10:28Z")
When I think of the entitled students who got into Ivy League without having to really earn it, I think of lower income minorities. They have it so easy. Also, I thought this was gonna be about alcoholism. ---
**Author:** ![randompattern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@randompattern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randompattern)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/13 "2013-12-22T23:16:09Z")
I thought you meant AA! Not AA! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/14 "2013-12-22T23:27:53Z")
Joke about [AA](http://www.aa.org/?Media=PlayFlash)? Sure, why not? They’re all a bunch of [drunks!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brYfm0ktJ3E) There’s _another_ AA? Who knew? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/15 "2013-12-22T23:46:06Z")
I would be surprised if Kantian rears their head in this thread again. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/16 "2013-12-22T23:50:03Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > (An inappropriate example would be Larry David’s ill-advised joke in the second season of _Curb Your Enthusiasm_, which I couldn’t find a link for.) It was the first season. Can’t find a video, but here’s a transcript: > [@](#): > > RICHARD: Dr. Gramb, this is my friend Larry David. > > LARRY: Hi, how you doing? > > RICHARD: He’s my dermatologist. > > LARRY: Hi. Really? > > Dr. GRAMB: Oh, yeah, what, for 15 years already? > > LARRY: Even with the whole affirmative action thing? > > RICHARD: What do you mean the whole affirmative action thing? I don’t… > > LARRY: Oh, it was a joke. > > RICHARD: Oh, now he’s… > > LARRY: So I wasn’t… > > Dr. GRAMB: So if I wasn’t black, you would have said the same thing or not? > > LARRY: No, don’t take it… > > RICHARD: No, no, no… > > Dr. GRAMB: You know, Richie, I’ve worked too hard and too long at this. I can’t do this. > > LARRY: I–no, look, I–I’ve… > > Dr. GRAMB: No, no, no, I can’t do it. > > RICHARD: I’ve… > > Dr. GRAMB: I don’t know what his trip is, but I can’t do it. [_Exits_] > > LARRY: It was a joke. > > RICHARD: I know it’s a joke. > > LARRY: I was just trying to be affable. > > RICHARD: Look, I’ll see you tonight. We’ll try to–hopefully, we’ll resolve, you know… > > LARRY: I tend to say stupid things to black people sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/17 "2013-12-23T00:13:55Z")
You guys; who are so knee-jerk about any mention of Jews, Nazis, and the KKK; can’t see AA and related jokes for the underlying racism it harbors? ---
**Author:** ![Kantian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4bbf92/32.png) [@Kantian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kantian)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/18 "2013-12-23T00:17:28Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I would be surprised if Kantian rears their head in this thread again. I’m still here and watching. I probably should have clarified what I meant by AA though, but then, I thought most people would know from the context I was speaking of affirmative action. Replies are interesting. Yeah, I already let on what I felt about it, but on the other hand, I understood the conservation to be one among friends, and that neither party would reenact such a conservation in public. But then, that raises the question of is it alright to be a closeted racial jokester. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/19 "2013-12-23T01:53:53Z")
It’s in poor taste, and pretty stupid socially under any circumstances, and most likely incorrect to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968/20 "2013-12-23T02:32:09Z")
Considering the existence of an actual glass ceiling for Asiatics in the Ivy Leagues, I’d say some people have the right to joke about it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anything-wrong-with-joking-about-aa/676968.md?page=2)