Australian gov'ment website explaining Aussie humour: "Australian humour has a long history that can be traced back to our origins as convict colonies. It is therefore no surprise that a national sense of humour quickly developed that responded to those conditions." (australia.gov.au)
86 ups - 16 downs = 70 votes
58 comments submitted at 1357952222 by mabuchi
Our sense of humour has suffered though, because of the fear of upsetting people. Although its usually privileged whites who take the most offensive to racist or off colour jokes. Example: what do you call an abo with one thong? A theif. Now look at the number of downvotes I have to prove my point
To be completely fair I don't think jokes like that only stopped because they were 'politically incorrect' but also because they're not funny.
Oh god you are everything that is wrong with the world. It is funny. I got a new PC approved joke you might enjoy:An englishman, a jew and an arab walk into a bar. They then have a polite and respectful discussion and go home.
Also didn't find it funny; it seems really old-fashioned. The joke is probably only going to be funny to people that think Aboriginal people are out to get them and steal all the things.
The second anti-joke is a good one though!
> steal all the things.
steal all the thongs.
I think the reason it is funny is not because people think Aboriginal people are out to get them and steal things but because of the irony or telling such a politically incorrect joke. It's more funny because of the shock and not the actual meaning and is actually making fun of this 'PC' culture we seem to have come into.
In what way is it ironic? Do you even understand irony? (Hint: irony != racism).
And who is shocked by that joke? It's not shocking in the slightest, it's just racist.
Definition of ironynoun (plural ironies)[mass noun]the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect:‘Don’t go overboard with the gratitude,’ he rejoined with heavy ironysource: Oxford English Dictionary
This joke appears to be a derogatory racist joke targeting aboriginals, however, in actual fact it is the shock of being a racist joke, not the content itself which makes it funny. It is meant to offend or if you want to interpret it deeper, be a statement about the 'PC' environment we seem to live in.edit: people don't say jokes like this to be racist, they say them to offend people to point out the fact that people are too sensitive about words and jokes these days (whilst not necessarily being sensitive about the real issue). That is the 'shock' people are looking for and why people find these types of jokes funny
Your defense is that people say racist jokes in order to...point out that people are offended by racism.
If you'll excuse my brusqueness, that is idiotic.
You still haven't identified who you think is shocked by that. And being offended is not the same as being shocked.
The truth is that racist jokes simply are not shocking to anyone who is not a literal child. They are just offensive, and that's because racism is offensive. Get it?
You are right, being offended is not the same as being shocked but the offence usually comes after the shock of hearing the joke, typically in an environment where you wouldn't expect it (this is where the irony comes in). The same effect is seen with jokes about disabilities, women, abortions, homosexuality and comedians have made their careers or have at least devoted entire routines around this: e.g. Jimmy carr, Ricky Gervais, andrew dice clay to name a few; though I have to admit these comedians use slightly more original and intelligent material.My main point here is that it's stupid to be offended by words and jokes alone, it's meaning and context that are used to put people down or discriminate against certain people and I can completely understand being offended on these issues in different circumstances.
It is certainly an anti-joke in itself, just a race-baiting one if not really racist. I think that's why I don't like it. It's throwing the word Abo in there just for the sake of spicing it up, when it could have been left race-neutral or broader (What do you call an Aussie with one thong?)
but that joke would totally cut the point about being a politically incorrect joke (which is what makes it funny). The literal meaning (whether it is an aboriginal or not) is not funny at all. I feel these jokes might (possibly) have started as racist as you say, but now they are more of a backlash against this tendency to censor everything we say for fear of offending someone. It's only racism if you actually discriminate against a race, not when you use the idea as a tool to highlight a separate perceived problem with society through humour.
The problem is in this case that a backlash against a tendency to censor everything appears identical to discrimination against a race of people (or at least race-baiting). It's good that people can celebrate and appreciate the former though.
I see your point and it is quite possible that I am just giving my opinion based on a sample size that includes only a handful of people (my direct friends). I can't say that my opinion is indicative of the broader population. Though I do see the point at being angry about real racism (real discrimination), I don't see the point about getting offended by a joke that was not said (at least in this case) with the intention of being racist, rather to invoke a response to prove a point that everyone is to PC..
What I'm taking away from all this is that Australians are so passionate about comedy that they will meticulously de-construct a joke
um you are possibly reading into that too much champ - its just a joke. Perhaps the irony here is that the jokes protagonist would not even have one thong in the first place? Is that ironic? Or am i being ironic about making an ironic joke that isnt ironic? Lighten up assholes heres another: Why do aboriginals (not saying abo cos dat rasict) have two nostrils? One for premium and one for unleaded. Not funny you say? an introspective social comment in the guise of a joke? Na I bet none of you fucks have lived in the NT have you?
Yeah like I totally wasn't expecting a petrol sniffing punchline after that subtle setup.
If the joke had omitted "Abo" (which denoted that the joke teller was derogatory to Aboriginals) and substituted "Aboriginal person" would it made a difference?
If Aboriginal person was used instead, then I think it would have been able to be interpreted as ironic.
1st Interpretation: It's not true, it enables racist stereotypes, therefore it is a racist joke. 2nd Interpretation: It is anti-racist humour, as there is irony and absurdity because - it's not true, racism is not acceptable, therefore it is funny because racism is absurd. (Social commentary - subversive *Foucault)3rd Interpretation: It is true, therefore it is funny, it's humour at the expense of someone else (hurting someone *Freud)
But I agree, it was a very boring joke, it's too much of a cliche to be considered funny in any circumstance.
See that one would actually have been funny if it was being told with the intention of poking fun at a very common kind of joke rather than being told by someone who's got a stick up their arse about how Political Correctness Gone Mad means they can't mock ethnic minorities in public any more.
Ah we had a good run though. I haven't got a stick up my arse I just wanted to provoke a debate. Unfortunately it's abit one sided. I guess the main thing to take from this thread though is the only thing stupider than a redneck is a shitload of buthurt liberal bleeding hearts being trolled by a redneck
I don't think any of us liberal bleeding hearts are upset or trolled. We just held a vote and we all agree that you're an idiot.
> Oh god you are everything that is wrong with the world. It is funny.
So he doesn't share your sense of humour. Fuck him, right?
Or one from way back when it was Irish people who were seen as the invading immigrants.....
How many potatoes does it take to kill and Irishman?
None.
There's a big difference between these two jokes. The former frames indigenous Australians - erm, sorry, 'abos' - as thieves, while in the latter the Irish are victims.
You're getting downvotes not because of the racist joke, but because you're making a bunch of unfounded assumptions about people you can't possible know, and you're a fucking whiner.
No one likes a whiner.
Noone likes drug fucked Starcaft nerds either but hey, youre still here
> its usually privileged whites who take the most offensive to racist or off colour jokes
Go tell your joke to an Aboriginal person, then get back to me on that generalisation.
They wouldn't get it. How many aboriginal comedians do you know?
While I don't like that particular joke because it's derogatory and plain dumb, there are jokes which are more whimsical but are still self-censored now.
An example, from South Africa, is the "Agh Please Daddy" song. Funny song, completely about spoiled white kids, not about blacks, but it mentions a confectionery at the time called "nigger balls". So, recently, the lyrics of this culturally iconic song were changed to remove that word.
I'm a white Aussie, a friend of mine is a black Zimbabwean. She has a good sense of humour, we've discussed this, and she doesn't mind "nigger" being used in that context at all. She's glad the word isn't used anymore, but it's ok being spoken in the context of the song.
I understand African Americans may have a different perspective, but the point is erasing it from the entire world's lexicon - no matter the context - is, I think, being too worried about upsetting people.
What's she like in the sack out of interest? All races of girls have a kind of smell about them, in the pigment of their skin. Not saying any is better or worse. Does she have better rhythm than white girls? I've found that with some ethnic girls with dancing in their culture. Serious question.
That joke was funny in year 8 but hasn't aged well.
Can someone here actually tell a funny joke?
Not you obviously. Unless we're including jokes 14 year olds find amusing and "shocking".
It's almost like racist jokes aren't funny!
I wouldn't be surprised if your joke is popular with reddits core 14 year old demographic though.
Racist jokes are just another category of joke that certain people don't find funny.
It would be an absurd claim to say that they aren't funny, because people clearly find them funny.
Some people find them funny, others don't, similar to any other type of humour.
Funnier racist joke: whats the difference between a black man and a tyre? Tyres don't sing when you put them in chains.
The Aborigine joke is not funny as it solely relies on denigration for its punch line. The tyre joke is more about history, and doesn't really denigrate, and the punch line is unexpected.
Maybe I haven't had enough coffee today, can you point out to me what's funny about your slavery joke?
Unexpectedly connecting snow chains with the origin of the Blues.
No - reddits core demographic is liberal, smug, privileged, pretentious, circle jerking, cat fucking hipster douche fucks. Like yourself. Rascist jokes are funny
you have got some serious issues to work through by the sounds of it mate
Sometimes I cry for no reason :(
There's probably a good reason.
What is your point? That you have about the same sense of humour as a cheese grater? That joke stopped being funny, oh, about 20 years or so ago, not because of political correctness or anything like that, but because jokes have a natural life span, and that one's simply ran out.
The only reason why white people are offended is because they're not allowed to make those jokes.
The funny thing is people think anti racism is for the benefit of the victims.