No too long ago I made a joke about Jewish women driving their kids to school For this I was called anti semitic by some idiot. Before that I had made a joke about how homosexuality and cakes could be similar....Just silly jokes...For that I was called anti gay and compared to an unfunny Bernard Manning.

The people who complained and called me names are basically displaying political correctness and saying expressing these jokes was wrong.

Their philosophy restricts humour into this 'safe' zone where no one is offended unless that group is deemed 'bad' or 'powerful'....though that itself is arguable.

Well, I argued against it....Angrily against one particular name caller but nothing that I said was as articulate or as too the point as this piece I've found by Bill Mather the American stand up/host.

For all those interested I post it here because it neatly hits the nail on the head.

[Link]

Edited by Stirlingsays (21 Jun 2015 1.38pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

There are many joyless, self-righteous, censorious, fault finding zealots ready to pounce on practically anything.

Edited by derben (21 Jun 2015 2.15pm)

No thought policing.

That's a breath of fresh air too.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

That clip is brilliant and exactly typifies what I love about Bill Maher and sums up a lot about our culture today. Making people feel uncomfortable or offending is perceived as wrong by default in todays world. Anyone remember when Ben Affleck was on Real Time talking to Sam Harris? Affleck basically calls Harris a racist and totally misrepresents his views. Affleck should have been criticised for his naivety but instead everyone on social media seemed to be praising him.

Here is Ayaan Hirsi Ali ripping Affleck for what he says:

[Link]

Shutting down conversation only serves to drive people into bigotry. In terms of comedy, too many people seem to think everything is hilarious up until the point when their offended.

At the same time however, everyone needs to reflect on what they say, even if its a joke. It helps if the joke is funny and the motive, otherwise your just a moron who uses 'humour' as a front for their own bigotry.

I recall a few years back returning to work somewhat 'Bronzed' after a summer holiday. One of the asian chaps whom I sort of knew joked "You look like a Pa.i" !

I laughed and implied that if I called him one he would be offended but he said categorically he wouldn't be offended at all !!!!

Edited by Willo (21 Jun 2015 3.58pm)

A joke is a joke, and in many ways an anti- establishment protest(?) probably the wrong word.

There are those that have been overly penalised due to jokes.....ask Rodney Marsh as s***e as the joke was.

But based on your own precepts, people will take offence against jokes or as they would see it jibes against those they "prefer" or deem offensive.

That includes plenty of the right wingers on here.....please note I did not use the "eye swivel" joke.

"Everything is air-droppable at least once."

"When the going gets tough, the tough call for close air support."