ShiftKicker
Moderator
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2015
- Messages
- 8,348
- Reason
- DX UMND/PLS
- Diagnosis
- 06/2015
- Country
- CA
- State
- BC
- City
- Vancouver
This is in response to the closure of a thread due to a complaint it contained several jokes that were racist in nature.
I am going to be straight- I can not abide by racist jokes. A white person using stereotypes about black bodies as a punchline for a joke about sex is not appropriate. Particularly on a forum that has visitors from around the world- the vast majority of whom are in need of support for a terminal disease. By making jokes based on racial stereotypes, it's indicating to people who do not have white skin that their bodies and their dignity is subject to hilarity and can be used as something for everyone to laugh at however they may personally feel about it. In particular, humour about black people's sexuality and worn stereotypes about their bodies- including genital size- has a history rooted in a very troublesome, racist and violent past, where black folk did not have ownership over their own bodies or futures, and whose value was dependent on physical abilities and attributes. Not funny.
I do not think someone with ALS, who also happens to be a person of colour, should have to be an unwitting and unwilling witness and recipient of such humour. I'm not sure what type of wording in a thread title would be an appropriate warning for that. Perhaps ask yourself, if a person whose race was the punchline of a joke you just told asked you to explain exactly why it was funny, would you feel confident you could explain why your joke was not racist? This is not about all your friends who are (insert race/nationality/religion here) and who politely laugh at your jokes- this is about the dignity and needs of people who actually come here seeking help and support for their or their loved one's ALS and encounter "Black guys have big penises. Hilarious!" jokes.
I have zero issue with raunchy jokes. I have been known to tell a few myself. I do think it's important to let folks know if a thread contains adult content before they open what they think is going to be something lighthearted and funny. We do have minors who visit the forum and other people who find this type of humour distasteful and should be given the chance to not read. It's courteous to warn. However, jokes utilizing racist stereotypes creates a forum where many people would feel unwelcome, uncomfortable and unable to post their questions or ask for help.
I am going to be straight- I can not abide by racist jokes. A white person using stereotypes about black bodies as a punchline for a joke about sex is not appropriate. Particularly on a forum that has visitors from around the world- the vast majority of whom are in need of support for a terminal disease. By making jokes based on racial stereotypes, it's indicating to people who do not have white skin that their bodies and their dignity is subject to hilarity and can be used as something for everyone to laugh at however they may personally feel about it. In particular, humour about black people's sexuality and worn stereotypes about their bodies- including genital size- has a history rooted in a very troublesome, racist and violent past, where black folk did not have ownership over their own bodies or futures, and whose value was dependent on physical abilities and attributes. Not funny.
I do not think someone with ALS, who also happens to be a person of colour, should have to be an unwitting and unwilling witness and recipient of such humour. I'm not sure what type of wording in a thread title would be an appropriate warning for that. Perhaps ask yourself, if a person whose race was the punchline of a joke you just told asked you to explain exactly why it was funny, would you feel confident you could explain why your joke was not racist? This is not about all your friends who are (insert race/nationality/religion here) and who politely laugh at your jokes- this is about the dignity and needs of people who actually come here seeking help and support for their or their loved one's ALS and encounter "Black guys have big penises. Hilarious!" jokes.
I have zero issue with raunchy jokes. I have been known to tell a few myself. I do think it's important to let folks know if a thread contains adult content before they open what they think is going to be something lighthearted and funny. We do have minors who visit the forum and other people who find this type of humour distasteful and should be given the chance to not read. It's courteous to warn. However, jokes utilizing racist stereotypes creates a forum where many people would feel unwelcome, uncomfortable and unable to post their questions or ask for help.