Of course not.
The reason I love that quote is because, to me it says: “Humor allows us to challenge social mores and standards.”
The best way, IMO, to challenge anything whether it be a government or religion or prejudice is to laugh at it. Laughing at a problem humanizes it. It makes it not seem so huge. Once it isn’t too big to look at, we can talk about it. And, it has the added bonus of truly pissing off governments, or religions, or bigots to be laughed at. 
This post sort of sounds as if the only thing that we can make fun of is whatever the dominant social group and/or institutions happen to be. I am pretty sure that you don’t mean it that way but I would appreciate some expansion on your point.
Damn, damn “post” button.
However. Once we start trying to tell people what they are and are not allowed to find humorous, then we open the flood gates. Pretty soon, people find EVERYTHING offensive. And then what YOU find humorous will be under attack.
At least on my monitor, there’s enough of a contrast that it was actually quite obvious there was text in that “blank” spot.
YMMV
I get the feeling that nerves are still running high from a certain incident involving a Tuba.
In general, from my perspective, those who ‘take chronic offense’ are just being lazy when it comes to exhibiting interpersonal skills. What’s easier:
Pigeonholing yourself within a group of like minded persons, circling the wagons and feigning displeasure when an outsider jokingly points to your pluristic traits.
or
Bucking this entire Balkanizing trend, living your life as an individual and treating others accordingly?
To put it another way, it’s alot easier to take yourself too seriously than it is to admit your self-chosen group has certain habits and characteristics that outsiders see as commonplace.
What does that have to do with anything?
Well that makes things a lot less hilarious. Geeze, I hope that my lame attempt at humor didn’t offend anyone.
Is that the deal?
Because, I’ve noticed it, too. My thread on the cleaning people throwing out my FedEx boxes - a couple people in there attacked me. They didn’t come back to explain why, but it seems they took my giving leftover food to the cleaning staff as throwing them scraps, and condescension.
I got Pitted over expressing my opinion in an IMHO thread when the OP specifically asked for my opinion.
And a few other incidents, where it seems as if people are only too eager to jump down others’ throats. Those are just mine. The petty sniping at other people, backbiting, bringing up issues long since resolved, seems to be growing hugely and is making this board a less pleasant place to visit.
It certainly didn’t offend me.
People whose nerves are running high are more apt to fly off the handle and that incident raised lots of nerves not all that long ago.
I mean, it used to be just the Offenderati[sup]TM[/sup] flying off the handle, now it could be anyone. Something must have happend to upset the balance and that sprung to mind.
There are still quite a few of us (nonentities?) that aren’t flying off the handle at anything.
Offensensitivity is never pretty. Funny, maybe, but not pretty.
I don’t think Lute was refering to the OP specically, but to the trend in general.
In other words, the recent unpleasentness has subconsiously raised the tension level all over the board, and that is why it appears more people are flying off the handle. Interesting hypothesis.
One datum for you, Lute. I didn’t pay that much attention to the unpleasentness, and I don’t think I’ve been finding offense where none was intended.
I’m told the Norse had a philosophy that I like. “Life is shit, so what can you do, but laugh at it?” I forget which book I read it in, but it was given as the reason why the Aesir laughed when Tyr’s hand was bitten off.
I’m just glad for the warning that I’m not allowed to disagree with anyone anymore.
(does sarcasm count as a joke?)
Yes, that is so exactly what I meant. :rolleyes:
I’m offended by the stupidity of this thread. Basically it boils down to you’re whining about someone else whining.
I suddenly want some wine.
Bingo.
I didn’t mean to imply that all Dopers have been affected. I certainly haven’t been and I, too, felt the unpleasentness wasn’t that big of a deal. I wonder if there’s a corollary between flying off the handle and those who felt that the unpleasentness was a huge deal.