Racist (?) "Joke" in widely distributed email

mathepac

I know there is a fine line between taking ourselves too seriously and accepting it as fitting that we are the butt of every "stupid person" joke in the world.

I received an email today from a distribution list to which I am a voluntary subscriber since earlier this year.

On which side of the line do ye think the 1970's era "joke" falls? Is it:

a) Good clean fun
b) Racist

At best the "joke" they refer to is in extremely poor taste, at worst it is racist, portraying the Irishman as a thick gombeen who doesn't know the difference between a saint's name and the name of a food, IMHO

Personally I think it's deplorable that an Irish-registered organisation based in Kilkenny should distribute this kind of neanderthal rubbish and it speaks to their low regard for Irish nationality and ethnicity.

The Olympics and the BBC were quick to disassociate themselves from Daley Thomson's racist Irish remark in an interview during the competitions. I would like to see a public apology from this crowd, if not a prosecution for publishing and distributing racist remarks. Their details are :

"FreePrizedraws is a part of Lifestyles Online Limited.
Registered Office: 29 Lower Patrick Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny. Registered Number: 480849 (Ireland)."

I publish their name & address here without fear of retribution from the mods as it appears on the bottom of every email they sent out to-day. If the mods want a copy of the email forwarded, that is not a problem.

The "Joke":

"Englishman, Frenchman and Irishman - A Classic Irish Joke

An Englishman, a Frenchman and an Irishman were in a pub talking about their children.

'My son was born on St George's Day,' remarked the Englishman, 'So we obviously decided to call him George.'

'That's a real coincidence, 'observed the Frenchman, 'My daughter was born on Valentine's Day, so we decided to call her Valentine.'

'That's really incredible, 'drawled the Irishman, 'Exactly the same thing happened with my son Pancake' "

syklops

How is that racist?

And I giggled at the end.

coffee_cake

That's not racist. The definition of racist is not "things I don't like".

Rented Mule

Racist ?

You may want to look up the meaning of the word.

juan.kerr

Ridiculous. Since when are the Irish a different 'race' to the English? Can we not just all get along?

GRMA

It's offensive all right, and a stupid thing to put on an email.

Procrastastudy

syklops wrote: »

How is that racist?

And I giggled at the end.

Its does depend to a certain extent to who it was sent to. Lets say you're the only Irish person in a company and keep getting these. Likely bullying (which I realise wasn't exactly the question posed). Like so many things it isn't an issue until someone complains.

I suppose if we take PC to the extreme then it is racist - although you have to read into it a bit. That said there has always been a bit of leeway when it comes to racism about the English, Scots, Welsh, French and Americans. I think you'd have to be quite easily offended to take issue with that joke but I normally have a very thick skin when it comes to this stuff so...

Rented Mule wrote: »

Racist ?

You may want to look up the meaning of the word.

juan.kerr wrote: »

Ridiculous. Since when are the Irish a different 'race' to the English? Can we not just all get along?

I'm pretty certain racism is based on nationality...

jugger

i dont think it is tbh but it just made me coughed up a mouthfull of tea
and they send you one every day where do i sign up?????

Broxi_Bear_Eire

Some people really need to lighten up

juan.kerr

Procrastastudy wrote: »

I'm pretty certain racism is based on nationality...

:rolleyes:

mathepac

bluewolf wrote: »

That's not racist. The definition of racist is not "things I don't like".

Perhaps, perhaps not but it does include words like "bigot" or "bigotry".

GRMA

It's not even a "classic Irish joke" but rather a British one of the John Bull variety - a hangover from the anti Irish stereotype that Irish people were all idiots.

Outdated and shouldn't be sent around.

MadsL

I know there is a fine line between taking ourselves too seriously and accepting it as fitting that we are the butt of every "stupid person" joke in the world.

I received an email today from a distribution list to which I am a voluntary subscriber since earlier this year.

On which side of the line do ye think the 1970's era "joke" falls? Is it:

a) Good clean fun
b) Racist

At best the "joke" they refer to is in extremely poor taste, at worst it is racist, portraying the Irishman as a thick gombeen who doesn't know the difference between a saint's name and the name of a food, IMHO

Personally I think it's deplorable that an Irish-registered organisation based in Kilkenny should distribute this kind of neanderthal rubbish and it speaks to their low regard for Irish nationality and ethnicity.

The Olympics and the BBC were quick to disassociate themselves from Daley Thomson's racist Irish remark in an interview during the competitions. I would like to see a public apology from this crowd, if not a prosecution for publishing and distributing racist remarks. Their details are :

"FreePrizedraws is a part of Lifestyles Online Limited.
Registered Office: 29 Lower Patrick Street, Kilkenny, County Kilkenny. Registered Number: 480849 (Ireland)."

I publish their name & address here without fear of retribution from the mods as it appears on the bottom of every email they sent out to-day. If the mods want a copy of the email forwarded, that is not a problem.

The "Joke":

"Englishman, Frenchman and Irishman - A Classic Irish Joke

An Englishman, a Frenchman and an Irishman were in a pub talking about their children.

'My son was born on St George's Day,' remarked the Englishman, 'So we obviously decided to call him George.'

'That's a real coincidence, 'observed the Frenchman, 'My daughter was born on Valentine's Day, so we decided to call her Valentine.'

'That's really incredible, 'drawled the Irishman, 'Exactly the same thing happened with my son Pancake' "

Not sure is the joke is the joke or the whole post is the joke. Could you clarify.

Allyall

How is it racist or a joke?

I was in the Pub with Jean-Luc, and Cedric. We were having a private discussion, and we told each other our childrens names, and how we decided upon naming them..

I think you meant, it's a "Coincidence".

millie35

My daughter is called shrove.

Cool_CM

Would it have caused less/no offence to you if Paddy Irishman had come first and called his son Patrick and Paddy Englishman was the guy who named his son pancake?

I seriously doubt you would have started a thread if it had.

It's a joke and not even an outlandish one at that. If you don't like it then make a complaint to the company that sent it to you and ask them to take you off their mailing list.

nacimroc

Its a joke and a funny one at that. Your offended the Irish company said an Irish joke to the Irish?

mathepac

MadsL wrote: »

Not sure is the joke is the joke or the whole post is the joke. Could you clarify.

I think your confusion and that of your peers is based on the fact that this thread is "Legal Discussion" and not "After Hours". I know that's not a racist remark, but is it bigoted?

Thoie

Worse things happen at sea.

mathepac

Cool_CM wrote: »

... If you don't like it then make a complaint to the company that sent it to you and ask them to take you off their mailing list.

I diid all that (and more) before I posted here, but thank you for the suggestions.

martyoo

That's not funny or racist.

Solair

Just respond to the owner of the list and say that you're offended.

If it's a commercial body, complain to the management directly if you're that offended by it.

People send stupid stuff by email sometimes.

Tordelback

It's a joke based on widely-held national stereotypes, yes, but unless it's within a context of contempt or abuse or power-imbalance, it's just poking fun, it's not racism. However, the issue here is that a corporate e-mail often arrives devoid of this all-important context - and as such it is openb to the worst possible interpretation. Thus it's generally unwise to write these kind of things. But 'unwise' was never the same as 'racist'.


For the record, I must have told and/or laughed at a thousand 'Paddy Irishman' jokes, speaking as an Irishman - it's a funny and flexible format, easily applied to Priest/Vicar/Rabbi, Brunette/Redhead/Blonde, Science/Engineering/Arts...

MagicSean

Can't say I'm offended by it. I know for a fact there are Irish people that stupid.

biko

Since Irish people are an easily offend lot then yeah!*




*just as "racist" as the joke, purporting all Irish are something is probably not good



But feck it, it's a good joke

RandolphEsq

I didn't know there was a stereotype that Irish people were buffoons?! But I am only 23 so was not alive during the period where we hated the Engllish.

Procrastastudy

RandolphEsq wrote: »

I didn't know there was a stereotype that Irish people were buffoons?! But I am only 23 so was not alive during the period where we hated the Engllish.

You've never heard an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke before?

RandolphEsq

Procrastastudy wrote: »

You've never heard an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman joke before?

I have but the nationality seems fairly irrelevant and interchangeable.

Procrastastudy

RandolphEsq wrote: »

I have but the nationality seems fairly irrelevant and interchangeable.

Responses like this make me think there is hope for mankind after all.

Rackstar

If that email is one of your biggest worries in life then I'd love to be in your shoes.

krd

MagicSean wrote: »

Can't say I'm offended by it. I know for a fact there are Irish people that stupid.

Our stupidity is legendary.


Did you here the one about the Ghost Estate builder who drove his cement truck into the Dail?

The joke doesn't actually have a punchline - it just goes on and on, until you're in tears, and clawing at your face in maniacal laughter wishing it would all stop. He blamed the government, Anglo, ......the people thought he was some kind of hero (striking back against the people who had bankrupted the country) .....then he built Achil Henge.