Black and Blue.

[Kanzler]

In this thread I'd like to discuss two kinds of humour: black and blue.

Black humour refers to humour that focuses on otherwise serious subjects: death, violence, suffering, politics, dead babies, the like. Blue humour refers to sexual humour, concerning perhaps the act of sex, bawdiness in general and what's been increasingly brought to my attention, sexual orientation. Both black and blue deal with subject matter that are taboo, that are indecent to talk about and avoided in everyday life. Some of us embrace it, yet others put it down.

Are you one to laugh at things that may offend or are you more of the type that finds it disturbing? If you're somewhere in between, what's okay and what's not okay? What's a no-go zone? If you are somebody who enjoys it, how big of a role does it play in your life? I say that in some of the social circles on PC, black and blue humour is part of the daily routine. Why do you think we laugh at things that are supposed to be off-putting?

And what do you think of people who disagree with you in this respect - depending on who you are, are people who don't like black and blue humour prudish or are the people who enjoy it sick-minded?

 

[Flushed]

I feel as if both black and blue humor as necessary, but more blue than black. Coming from someone who isn't offended by anything really, I think that people can sometimes be uptight about things. I'm not saying they should change, or that they should grow thicker skin, it's just me saying that sometimes these serious topics need to be joked about to lighten things up. I do believe there is a limit, dead babies and many forms of violence are a no go. But things like politics and sex are definitely within reason. I also think it does good to poke fun at things that you relate to. When I see a gay guy making fun of himself, that indicates a certain self confidence or even an idgaf mentality to me, which is I guess nice to see?

 

[LoudSilence]

Hm, it's hard to say that I particularly like one style of humour; I've definitely laughed at my fair share of "tasteless" jokes. I think a lot of what makes it funny is the fact that sometimes the subject matter in question is severely off-limits socially, and to see someone not only ignore that but make light of it is amusing. Sometimes it's solely the shock value that gets you laughing rather than the actual punchline.

Not much of a fan of "graphic" jokes (ones that invoke strong mental imagery like dead babies or mutilation etc. etc.), but I guess I wouldn't hold it against someone for finding it funny. I don't think people ought to have their characters judged for finding certain things humourous as most of the time their "twisted thoughts" stop at the joke.

Society has a lot of taboos, some that are weird and some that make total sense -- but not everyone defines their own personal taboos according to society's template. As such, your limits ought to be the limits of your audience: if you tell a racist joke, for example, and someone who heard it doesn't like it, you should probably stop telling it. That doesn't mean you should never tell it though if you know of others who might appreciate it.

In a sentence, I would say that humour is all about understanding the people you're sharing it with.

 

[Ephemeral Euphoria]

For me it has to be something really vile for me not to get at least a chuckle out of it but asides from those very rare instances I cannot get enough of that sort of humor whether I am watching standup alone or talking with a few of my friends to pass the time.

 

[twocows]

I think this is a very complex issue and I don't feel like discussing it at length, so I'll just say that I don't feel bad about laughing at even some of the most offensive humor.

 

[Poki]

I can't help but laugh at some jokes, even if I know it's considered offensive. I just can't.

 

[Kanzler]

I can't help but laugh at some jokes, even if I know it's considered offensive. I just can't.

I get the same feeling sometimes myself, yet I can't explain why. I think it's a mix of rebellion as well as schadenfreude in knowing that /other/ people would find it offensive. It's kind of like laughing at someone slip and fall on a banana peel - you're laughing at the misfortune that a hypothetical other would be experiencing. Maybe that has something to do with it.

 

[Aeroblast]

I've rarely ever found humor in crude jokes. It's not that I'm really offended unless it's personal, but "Black and blue" jokes are generally lost on me. Unless it's one of those exaggerated death scenes in old Chinese movies or something like that.

 

[Outlier]

I'm tired and lazy so I'll just use stand up comedians as examples.

Most of the comedians I listen to are very dirty, they tackle very taboo subject matter with their material and find a way to make it funny (to me at least). I don't believe I fall into those black or blue categories you mention though because being dirty or clean doesn't guarantee a laugh from me. I've heard plenty of clean stand-ups who've made me laugh and plenty of dirty comedians who I consider complete hacks.

I don't mind when other people get offended. Everybody has the right to be offended, it happens to all of us. Just know that your right ends there. You shouldn't feel entitled to interrupt a show or try and get a comedian in trouble just because you found something they said offensive. If something a comic has said bothers you to the point where you feel the need to say something just leave. Don't make a scene and ruin everybody else's good time. Because chances are you've laughed at something they or another comic has said that deeply offended someone else. To make a scene or heckle about how outraged you are is almost narcissistic on some level.

Now it's a bit trickier when it comes to humor in everyday life. In my opinion a lot of people are just too sensitive. Even if I'm mucking around with a friend I still have to pick my spots and consider who I'm with before spouting off every joke that comes to my head because I know there are certain things that they wouldn't take lightly even in the context of a joke.

 

[Rezilia]

As said by Introvert, I've found the majority of comedians today are embracing black and blue humor. I know The Lonely Island and Daniel Tosh are excellent examples.

I, myself, prefer black over blue. My favorite short story is Masque of the Red Death - which is basically extreme black humor. I found it hilarious. I see the best works of tragedy having great amounts of satire, Masque of the Red Death included.

I believe that a person should be able to laugh at their own beliefs - if they can't, they just don't truly know enough about their beliefs. I see this in Christians more than anyone else, but there are many other groups that take things too seriously as well - and they're often ignorant of their own beliefs.


I also LOVE horrible puns. Playing DragonFable for years, I got so used to them, I now enjoy them non-stop.

 

[Esper]

Anyone who is going to tell these kinds of jokes had better know who their audience is or be willing to face possible backlash. We're all entitled to whatever kind of sense of humor we want, but it's a tactless thing not to consider the audience.

I have no problem with black or blue humor, but I know who my friends are and that it's okay to joke with them. I don't really get into anything too bad with people I'm less sure of because I don't want to have a misunderstanding. I don't want people thinking I may really believe/support/etc. some terrible things because there are definitely people out there who hide behind humor when they're really just saying offensive things.

 

[Kanzler]

I've rarely ever found humor in crude jokes. It's not that I'm really offended unless it's personal, but "Black and blue" jokes are generally lost on me. Unless it's one of those exaggerated death scenes in old Chinese movies or something like that.

I think that falls under black humour :P

Anyone who is going to tell these kinds of jokes had better know who their audience is or be willing to face possible backlash. We're all entitled to whatever kind of sense of humor we want, but it's a tactless thing not to consider the audience.

I have no problem with black or blue humor, but I know who my friends are and that it's okay to joke with them. I don't really get into anything too bad with people I'm less sure of because I don't want to have a misunderstanding. I don't want people thinking I may really believe/support/etc. some terrible things because there are definitely people out there who hide behind humor when they're really just saying offensive things.

Would you consider it a certain level of skill to pull off such jokes given any (or many) audience(s)? Given its audacity, I'd say there's a considerable amount of balance and thinking that goes into pulling these jokes off.

Is laughing about serious matters a good thing? Would laughing about sex be considered laughing about something serious?

 

[Star-Lord]

I think it's totally fine to laugh at darker humor as long as you have an understanding that, yes, it is offensive. Sometimes I watch shows like Family Guy just because I need a cheap laugh - but because I'm aware of how it's offensive and then know how not to be offensive as a result, I think it's all good.

Then there's ******** like "rape jokes" (which I personally think can be joked about - only if you have the finesse to not make it offensive, i.e making it so that you make fun of the assailant being disgusting rather than someone being victimized) but even then, it's about skill? idk I'm tired forgive this rambly mess.

 

[Outlier]

I'd like to add that if you're making a joke, even if it's about the most taboo subject matter, it does not mean that you're condoning it in real life. It does not mean that you would find whatever you were joking about funny in the context of a real life situation. Jokes aren't reality people, they're just jokes!

Too many people treat jokes like they always have to reflect someone's genuine opinions or world views. Not enough people consider or care about context. Whether you find something funny or offensive is subjective and personal to you. Like I said in my first post there are things that you have laughed at or found funny that most likely offended someone else.

Sometimes I truly wonder when people are truly offended, or just know that they should be because society would frown upon them otherwise. Either way I just wish people would keep their moral outrage to themselves for the most part.

 

[Esper]

Would you consider it a certain level of skill to pull off such jokes given any (or many) audience(s)? Given its audacity, I'd say there's a considerable amount of balance and thinking that goes into pulling these jokes off.

Is laughing about serious matters a good thing? Would laughing about sex be considered laughing about something serious?

There certainly needs to be a minimum level of skill to pull these jokes off. That's probably one way to distinguish between something that's genuinely funny and something which is more just about laughing at someone's misfortune.

I'd like to add that if you're making a joke, even if it's about the most taboo subject matter, it does not mean that you're condoning it in real life. It does not mean that you would find whatever you were joking about funny in the context of a real life situation. Jokes aren't reality people, they're just jokes!

Too many people treat jokes like they always have to reflect someone's genuine opinions or world views. Not enough people consider or care about context. Whether you find something funny or offensive is subjective and personal to you. Like I said in my first post there are things that you have laughed at or found funny that most likely offended someone else.

Sometimes I truly wonder when people are truly offended, or just know that they should be because society would frown upon them otherwise. Either way I just wish people would keep their moral outrage to themselves for the most part.

I think it's the context which can be the cause of friction. Like if you have a white person making offensive jokes about black people (or whatever groups you'd like to substitute). Are we to say "he doesn't mean any harm?" or "he doesn't know better?"

 

[Outlier]

There certainly needs to be a minimum level of skill to pull these jokes off. That's probably one way to distinguish between something that's genuinely funny and something which is more just about laughing at someone's misfortune.

So if you acknowledge that "these jokes" can be pulled off. Why can't you acknowledge that whether a joke is funny or offensive, is completely subjective to each individual? Someone could tell a joke that you consider crass, yet the person next to you might laugh their ass off.

I think it's the context which can be the cause of friction. Like if you have a white person making offensive jokes about black people (or whatever groups you'd like to substitute). Are we to say "he doesn't mean any harm?" or "he doesn't know better?"

If you know the context of what is being said is in the form of a joke then there shouldn't be any friction, and you shouldn't need to ask any of those questions because they're just trying to make you laugh.

Laughing at racial humor doesn't make you a racist. Laughing at rape and murder jokes doesn't make you a rapist or a murderer. It doesn't mean you condone any of those things either and that goes for the comedian/person trying to make you laugh as well.

 

[Kanzler]

So if you acknowledge that "these jokes" can be pulled off. Why can't you acknowledge that whether a joke is funny or offensive, is completely subjective to each individual? Someone could tell a joke that you consider crass, yet the person next to you might laugh their ass off.

I don't think she denied that at all. Just trying to clear up a potential misunderstanding! Carry on.

 

[Esper]

If you know the context of what is being said is in the form of a joke then there shouldn't be any friction, and you shouldn't need to ask any of those questions because they're just trying to make you laugh.

Understanding the context of something doesn't mean someone will accept anything that comes from it. Like, we know that sometimes men will catcall and make gross gestures and say threatening things to women as they walk down the street or sit on the subway. They may laugh and make jokes at someone's expense while making them uncomfortable. That's the context, but knowing it doesn't make it any better.

That's more extreme than, say, a comedian on stage or course. There's a spectrum of contexts that range from wanted and expected (like going to see a comedy performance by a comedian who you already know is known for racy jokes) to unwanted and unexpected (like having strangers accost you, making jokes based on your race, gender, etc.) and a lot of grey area in the middle.

 

[Outlier]

I don't think she denied that at all. Just trying to clear up a potential misunderstanding! Carry on.

She pretty much verbatim said that it takes a minimum level of skill to pull these types of jokes off. And she also said that's one way to differentiate between an acceptable, funny taboo joke and a joke that is just malicious and hurtful. My retort was whether a joke makes her laugh/offended or not is completely subjective and personal to her. This is how a lot of people dictate what jokes are acceptable, by their own moral compasses and senses of humor. Which is fine in my opinion as long as you don't go around dictating what is funny or appropriate for others.

^ Those last two sentences weren't about anyone in particular, more of a general statement.

I want to give another example while I'm at it.

I along with most people find rape and murder to be deplorable acts against humanity. Now if someone manages to make me laugh by telling me a rape or murder joke that doesn't change my stance that actual rape and murder are horrific things in real life. It doesn't mean you take the issue in real life any less seriously because you laughed at a joke. A joke isn't reality even it draws from real issues and topics.

 

[Kanzler]

I do think it takes a bit of skill though, you can't deny that. Some people pull it off and other people don't. I think that goes to show that it takes skill to make it work. After all, humour like this has got to stay classy ;)

i can't believe i just said that.