O.K, Disclaimer: This is NOT, I repeat NOT intended in ANY way as a racial post.
Though sometimes humorous, racist jokes are not funny and never appropriate. But I seem to notice most all racial jokes are from the caucasion perpective. I’m sure a lot of the reason for this is because I’m white. However in the name of research, I’ve asked my Black and Asian friends (of which I’m proud to have many) to tell me their funniest ‘white’ joke. I didn’t find any of them funny but importantly I didn’t find them offensive either. Now I understand why I might not have found them funny (obvious cultural bias) but some of the ‘funniest’ racial jokes I have heard would have been extremely injurious to the minority they made fun of.
So, I’m ready for the flames, but with all my heart I do not wish to harm, here’s my question:
Why aren’t there any really ‘funny’ caucasion specific jokes? Even in books like “Really Tastless Jokes” nada. Are whites ‘better’ at writing them? This seems unlikely given all the talented black (for example) comedians. Are minorities more considerate? This also seems unlikely. Is there more to make fun of in minorities? Surely not. Or am I just in the dark about such things? Not likely either since I once lived in a town where whites were the minority and I endured harsh predijuce but no racial slurs (unless you call" blue eyed devil" a slur - I didn’t, though it was said in anger.)
If this offends anyone - my deepest apologies. It’s just bugged me for a while, and I was hoping you guys could shed some insite.
They do exist. They are at least as humorous as any other ethnic joke. Some are not even offensive. Some point out things that I never realized before but rang true.
Because cauccasians were never really a downtrodden group in this country, humor directed at them is slightly more acceptable. I think that’s also why blonde and redneck jokes still aren’t really cultural taboo.
A few examples that spring to mind:
From Baby Got Back by Sir Mix A Lot, “Even white boys gotta shout,”
On Whose Line Is It Anyway?, the white “contestants” make remarks once in awhile about how Wayne is a better dancer than the whites.
The film “White Men Can’t Jump”.
Call me weird, but the “white” jokes don’t really bother me. One Jewish joke though, and you’re public enemy #1 in my book.
Even those made by Jackie Mason?
I can understand ‘less downtrodden’ making jokes less objectional, but less funny?
If you’re not white, jokes about white folks are funny!
In the thread “If it’s a joke you shouldn’t laugh at don’t”, tracer gives an example of a ‘black joke’ (though I didn’t think it extremely funny). But it does make fun of an attribute that some whites seem to think is funny. I’m not nessecerily looking for specific jokes, I am curious what non-whites think are funny about us.
Again, I am genuinly interested and absolutly no racial harm is intended intended.
And why don’t you see these kinds of jokes in print anywher?
And sometimes even if you are. Think of Richard Pryor’s routine on why white folks get bit by snakes and black folks don’t. I’ve seen that a dozen times and it’s a riot every time.
Eddie Murphy does a bit in “whiteface” that’s a parody on every “white” cliche you can imagine. It’s hilarious.
FYI- There seems to be concurrent threads running on this topic. The second thread is in IMHO, and can be found here.