Bad Jokes & Ebonics
Henry M
gravity at nicom.com
Wed Feb 19 08:32:58 CST 1997
A test: When Major Marvy says "Ooga-booga," do you
a. laugh with him
b. laugh at him
c. both of the above
d. none of the above
> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 1997 08:58:54 -0500 (EST)
> From: Joe Varo <vjvaro at erie.net>
> To: Pynchon List <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Subject: Re: Bad Jokes & Ebonics
>
> On Tue, 18 Feb 1997 Kyburz at asu.edu wrote in response to an "ebonicized"
> version of The Lord's Prayer:
>
> > Is there any need to spread this crap any further. Doesn't anyone
> > understand that ebonices "jokes" are hate speech? I mean, yeah, if you
> > feel a great unbridled net-mediated freedom to be a public racist, then
> > that's one thing. But I think that some folks just don't know that this
> > kind of stuff offends--really.
>
> You know, I really didn't see this as an instance of racism. I didn't find
> it especially witty, either, but then the subject does include the phrase
> "bad joke".
>
> It seems to me that just about *all* humor pokes fun at someone or some
> group, whether it be ethnic, cultural, career (e.g. attorney jokes) or
> whatever.
>
> Hell, some of Richard Pryor's funniest stuff is when he pokes fun at WASP
> speech patterns. What about "The Simpsons"? Should that show be branded
> as racist because of the character Apu, the hindu Qwik-e-mart manager, or
> Flanders, the simpleminded christian?
>
> To claim racism in this way strikes me as at least a bit "knee-jerk-y" and
> may have the unfortunate effect of diluting the problem of racism in
> general.
>
> But then, perhaps I'm in need of sensitivity training.
>
> Joe
>
>
>
>
>
AsB4
Keep cool, but care. -- TRP
Moderation in moderation. -- Husky Mariner
m1,ru12? - HDM, d1
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