Racism or Ethnic Stereotyping?

prinz · 15-02-2010 06:05PM

The only reason I have a soft spot for the Brits is because they have a similar sense of humour and can take as well as they give. The only joke here is yer man that got "offended", if I was in the UK I'd be telling paddy jokes all day long.

major bill · 15-02-2010 06:09PM

the jokes not even funny but the fella kelly must be a biffo if he's taking that to heart:P

i love a good aul ''racist''/steriotype joke nothing wrong with it if people wanna get all sensitive over it then fcuk them. i tell a joke in jest its not racist imo racism is over used in todays society for silly things.

steriotypical german humour joke ''did ze heir avout ze man vu valked inzu ze bar?? he voz e alcoholik

brummytom · 15-02-2010 06:16PM

Karl Hungus wrote: »

Hey Brummytom!

Why are Irish jokes so stupid? So the English can understand them.

/bitchslap

*writes letter*

Ooh You're in for it now Karl, I'm putting you on my list of enemies

OutlawPete · 15-02-2010 06:19PM

English man walks into a bar in the heart of the Irish countryside.

He says to the barman: "Excuse me old boy, but could you perhaps tell me the quickest way to get to the town of Ballyomahony".

"Of course I can my english Gentleman friend, tell me - are you walking or driving"

"Oh, I have the car parked right outside" replies the english gent.

"Good" say's the barman "cause that's the quickest way".

ART6 · 15-02-2010 06:38PM

Once it used to be Kerryman jokes. Are people from Kerry an ethnic minority who will be offended? We can laugh at Brit jokes without them declaring jihad on us. We can tease the French and the Germans with similar impunity.Those who can't on occasion laugh at themselves have a serious relationship problem and need treatment.

Years ago I had a mate whose skin was so black that we had to ask him to smile a lot at night so that we knew where he was. His response to such a request was "careful, or I'll come and live next door to you." No offence was meant or taken either way, because we were friends. Those who take offence are not friends and so who the hell cares what they think?

we'llallhavetea_old · 15-02-2010 06:48PM

i think yer mans reaction is embarassing tbh.

the "joke" was also embarrassingly sh!t.

Herb Powell · 15-02-2010 07:09PM

Racist jokes are funny.

R0ot · 15-02-2010 07:57PM

A lad turned to me in work today to complain about an Israeli (sp?) company saying "damn jews always wanting more than they deserve".

I laughed even though it wasn't meant as a joke just a general observation about that company. It was still funny as are most jokes.

We either don't take offence at all jokes regardless of race or we let the PC brigade win.

Latchy · 15-02-2010 08:29PM

I have lived long enough in uk to know that even Irish born people tell and text each other paddy jokes as well as jokes about other races and while I'm here ....

A womons dog is drowing in the sea and a passing German tourist drives in ,pulls out the dog ,resuscitates & saves it's life .'Are you a vet ' asked the Womon?

Vet ? ' replied the German .......'I'm ****in soaked

GLaDOS · 15-02-2010 08:35PM

Depending on the audience, I will joke about nearly anything.

Your man just couldn't come up with a decent comeback obviously.

Closed ac · 15-02-2010 08:40PM

At least when us Irish tell jokes about the British they're funny, that one was just pathetic!

hooradiation · 15-02-2010 09:39PM

Birneybau wrote: »

Then again,it was written by a pair of Brits!
You know what that lot are like!

A grand bunch of lads?

Capt'n Midnight · 16-02-2010 03:11AM

How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman ?

none

Dudess · 16-02-2010 03:29AM

I couldn't give two hoots about people cracking Irish jokes/stereotyping (and I get a good laugh out of a lot of same - I'm not a big fan of Family Guy, but the episode taking the piss out of the Irish is absolute genius) however some of the humour-free comments in response to those articles are pretty ugly - e.g. references to "they" (the Irish) bombing people, and comments using the pronoun "you" (why didn't they just go the whole hog and say "you people"?)

Then again, a handful of twats displaying their ignorance on an internet discussion forum - let them...

Quite a number of Irish people have no problem making blanket statements about Irish people too - e.g. "typical Irish begrudgery".

Doc · 16-02-2010 03:45AM

I lived in England for a number of years and by and large I didn’t mind getting told the odd Irish man joke but a couple of times when I was in a big group and they were all telling the jokes I really didn’t like it.

I mean it is racist and why do you think its ok?

One particular time it pissed me off and I did say to give it a rest with the Irish jokes. But one guy continued telling me them. Now they where **** jokes anyway and I had had enough so I told him to just shut the **** up. He made out just like some of you guys are that they are only jokes and that there is nothing malicious in them, but every single one they told made out that Irish people are stupid. I’m not a stupid person and all these jokes were being directed at me because of my nationality as the only Irish person in the group why should I or anyone else have to put up with it?

Victor · 16-02-2010 03:45AM

“A man walked into a local bar and saw a friend sitting with an empty glass. ‘Paddy can I buy you another’, he asked, to which Paddy replied – ‘now what would I be wanting with another empty glass?’ ” - a joke.

“A man walked into a Dublin bar and saw a friend sitting with an empty glass. ‘Paddy can I buy you another’, he asked, to which Paddy replied – ‘now what would I be wanting with another empty glass?’ ” - a bigoted joke.

Doc · 16-02-2010 03:49AM

Victor wrote: »

“A man walked into a local bar and saw a friend sitting with an empty glass. ‘can I buy you another’, he asked, to which his friend replied – ‘now what would I be wanting with another empty glass?’ ” - a joke.

“An English man walked into a Dublin bar and saw a guy sitting with an empty glass. ‘Paddy can I buy you another’, he asked, to which Paddy replied – ‘now what would I be wanting with another empty glass?’ ” - a bigoted joked.

FYP

Dudess · 16-02-2010 03:57AM

Like all such situations, it depends on context/intent. And I think being able to laugh at oneself is a sign of self confidence. Father Ted absolutely ripped the piss out of aspects of Irish society, but in a warm-hearted way. I find good-natured slagging very endearing and well intentioned - and inclusive too. I'd much prefer it to tiptoe-ing.

snow ghost · 16-02-2010 04:15AM

There can be an underlying insidious racism to these ethnic jokes that isn't very healthy for a society... they can reinforce negative stereotypes and are often a subtle way of expressing racist sentiments, or can lead to the same.

Given the historical fact that anti-Irish racism has, in the not-too-distant-past, been at times prevalent in Britain and given the realtionship of conflict between Ireland and Britain these kind of jokes are at best unwise and at worst dangerous unless used in self-deprecating humour by the ethnic group they relate to.

Dudess · 16-02-2010 04:30AM

There'll always be idiots though - if racist jokes don't reaffirm their prejudices, something else will...

snow ghost · 16-02-2010 04:51AM

Dudess wrote: »

There'll always be idiots though - if racist jokes don't reaffirm their prejudices, something else will...

Or the jokes could ferment the prejudices.

Racism or Ethnic Stereotyping?

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