Poking fun at ...

[Ted Samsel]

Joe V sez:
> 
> On Thu, 20 Feb 1997 LBernier at tribune.com wrote:
> 
> >      The difference is whether the group whose accent you are ridiculing is 
> >      perceived as an oppressed minority or has gained a foothold in 
> >      society.  Thus, poking fun at African-American dialect = BAD (unless 
> >      the person poking is also an A-A) and exaggerating a 
> >      Norwegian-American's accent (a la Fargo) is just fine, no matter who's 
> >      doing the jesting.
> >      
> >      Now, what does one make of (Latino, oppressed minority) John Leguizamo 
> >      doing a Rabbi schtick?  What if Lequizamo was black?
> >      
> >      [...]
> 
> Excellent point.  Who's allowed to be funny anymore?  In what ways are you
> allowed to be funny?
> 
> If oppressed-minority-comedians are allowed to poke fun at anything they
> want but non-oppressed-minority-comedians are only allowed to poke fun at
> their own "kind", won't this just foster more and more segregation and
> resentment?
> 
> Just because you find a characteristic or idiosyncracy (sp?) of a group of
> people other than your own rather humorous or odd, doesn't mean you want
> to kill them off.
> 
> I wonder what Lenny Bruce would be saying about this.
> 
 A-a-nd when do you cross the line in your very best Marlon Brando
pose, kiss Larry King, and claim that the Jews run the "entertainment
industry", usw.?

Huh?

Ted Samsel....tejas at infi.net
         "Home of the brave, land of the free,
          I don't want to be mistreated by no bourgoisie."
AAFOUF# 0000003                           Huddie Ledbetter