what sort of jokes can I get away with?

Hiya,this is my 1st post here,Im often on "the other side" reading things about Pj,LOTRs/The Hobbit etc. I was wondering... Ive got a few jokes people have sent ME, I really DONT want to offend ANYONE, but a few I was sent tickled me pink! I dont mind sharing,if ok with you? I pre-worn you,a few are about dark people, I laugh at them,admittedly,but I would NEVER hurt anyone physically, (Id get someone else to do that) No! Joking! I dont want to be exiled before I begin! Thankyou.
p.s,If it is offensive......Tough!, no,sorry,I WONT share,promise.

.... what?

i don't mind erm.. jokes that are a bit .. well, balancing on the border of what's the decent thing to say, but I don't know what you're on about... did you have a one sided conversation with yourself?

I think we're pretty hard to offend for the most part. I take it you're asking about racial jokes? We don't really have a policy on that but I guess it'd come down to context and tone for each specific joke. It does worry me a bit that you feel the need to disclaim that you wouldn't really hurt somebody; jokes like that probably wouldn't go over too well.

I can't really say anything more specifically without knowing what the jokes are. I guess you could post some in spoiler tags or give a link to them elsewhere if you want an opinion before using them in ordinary conversation.

NB I take it that the other side is the-hobbit-movie.com? Welcome.

Also, let me say that we almost never ban people here (bots notwithstanding) so even if your jokes are inappropriate the most that will happen is a mod will edit them out and ask you not to post them again. I don't expect even that to happen though. You're especially not going to be banned if you're just posting them in the context of asking if it's acceptable, like in this thread.

well, I'll let you know if they are over the top. I dunno about others, but some things you just don't joke about. if they are just a bit dirty, then go on, be my guest.

Are the jokes racist?

They're not gonna make fun of burrahobbits, are they? I won't sit still for any burrahobbit chauvinism.

I think everyone here agrees that racism is not allowed, and other discrimination and so on, that is illegal(!). one thing is to joke about, but if it goes too far, at least I would shout out.

My view is tell whatever joke you like Azriel-this is a free spirits forum- but that also means if people find it offensive they are likely to let you know that in an equally free spirited manner!

ok,here goes with the begining of the end for me,
"just competed in the Paralympic Blindfold Masturbation Team Championships.
F**k knows where I came!

Have you ever read a joke and thought, “My mom & old nursery teacher" would love this?

Okay, I'll admit ... I lol'd.

I have to say as someone who works in care and with people of all disabilities that would not even register as offensive in the sort of jokes care workers routinely tell to survive the day.

Oddly enough I was talking with an old friend of my fathers who, in his own words, is 'black now but I used to be coloured' about racism and changing attitudes.
He is an american and he was in the US navy, but before that he started out working in general shipping- of which he says there was always a Scot in the engine rooms and he had been on several ships and working for a few years before it occured to him that not every Scot could be called either Jock or Scotty.
He himself was nicknamed Chalkie (not exactly original but then neither is Scotty)- he says he liked it, it made him feel accepted and part of the crew.
Funny thing racism, it can be trickier to define than might at first seem the case.

jupp. sometimes the most awkward situations occur when trying to avoid to say anything racist.. lol. but it all comes down to normal politness, doesn't it, at least what you as in genreal believe, equality, it shines really clear through you what you really think or was brought up believing.

anyways, the joke was a bit unintelligent for me lol. I mean, they don't have masturbation championships..

I feel like attitudes regarding racism are probably different in a country that is 98% white European.

Norc wrote:anyways, the joke was a bit unintelligent for me lol. I mean, they don't have masturbation championships..

They don't? Then what was I watching during the Olympics?

I feel like attitudes regarding racism are probably different in a country that is 98% white European.- Eldo

I supose it depends what you count as racism- I prefer to think that europe is more tolerant of different races in general than other parts of the world becuase in every european country there are substantial mixes.

Heres one small extract from a piece on Scottish DNA research- I picked this because its got the Fjoridans in it too!

'One of the most fascinating mixes of DNA in Scotland can be seen in the most southerly part of the country. The territory of Greater Galloway stretched east to Annandale and north to include Carrick and itmay be seen as a palimpsest of our linguistic and cultural history, a mirror to what happened in perhaps more familiar parts of the country.
The most westerly peninsula, the Rhinns of Galloway, lies close to Ireland and at the same time as Dalriada was emerging in Argyll and the south-western Hebrides, Gaelic was certainly also spoken there. The ancient kingdom of Rheged understood itself in Old Welsh and it had royal centres near Stranraer, Kirkcudbright and probably at Carlisle.
When it faded and died at the end of the 6th century, the English-speaking Bernicians pushed westwards to establish an episcopal see at Whithorn and colonise fertile costal areas.Even
Pictish became part of the mix – by mistake. The Bernicians may have believed the Gaelic speakers of Galloway to have been Picts because the first two bishops at Whithorn took symbolic names. Peohthelm means "Leader of the Picts" and Peohtwine "Friend of the Picts".Inthe late 9th and early 10th century the kaleidoscope was twisted once more when some of the Celto-Norse peoples of the Hebrides migrated south. Because they spoke Gaelic but were descended from Vikings, they became known as the Gall-Gaidheil and they gave their name to Galloway.It means the Land of the Stranger-Gaels. For six centuries at least, dialects of Old Welsh, Gaelic and English were spoken by substantial communities who lived alongside each other. Multiculturalism may not be fashionable in certain quarters nowadays but it has a long history in Scotland.'- the Scotsman

The Scots at least are a mongrel nation- and proud to be so.

I wasn't referring to Scotland, although most of those nations existed a long time ago and your source mentions that multiculturalism is controversial today. I know that Europe in general has a long history of factional conflict, mostly religious it seems, so I'm not trying to say that it's some monolithic entity. Still, broader social issues aside, I have a hard time imagining living in a place where nearly everyone has the same colored skin. The 98% white figure isn't that much of an exaggeration in some countries.

Like I say it depends what you consider racisism, if its just skin colour then no in genral we dont have a huge numbers- but in Europe even though most folks are white we have found plenty reasons to be racist at each other believe me- but at the same time there has been so much movement around europe over the centuries that we are all a mix of each other. Making the whole thing a bit silly (as if it wasnt already silly enough)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to say that racism can only happen with a difference in skin color. Racism between people descended from different European groups was a big problem in the US for a long time, although in recent decades that sort of racism has quieted down. It does make me curious how "race relations" differ when the groups are all intertwined like that.

I was testing the water with that joke, Comedy is SO personal & selective. What cracks one person up is disgusting to another. I,personally cannot stand "Roy Chubby Brown", He is way to foul mouthed for me, yet I know someone who thinks hes the best comedian around!. Jokes are like peeking into Pandoras Box,you know its asking for trouble, & you probably wont like what you find, but you cant resist. I dont think theres a joke anywhere that wont offend someone,whether its Mother-in-law,Paki,muslim,jewish,village idiot etc, The Irish are always called "paddy",the scots are "tight",Weve all heard them."Pettytyrant"- I think you do a wonderful job helping people less fortunate than ourselves,my mum is in a Home 4 Dementia & I try to see her when I can,Im the only one who visits, but I look round at the souls in there that have been DUMPED. its humbling, Ive had jokes like..."Who won the break dance at the local Rave?".... "An epiletic crossing the floor", Ive got an epiletic friend & she laughed at that one,it didnt bother her, but it would someone else.

My rule of thumb is that I try not to be offended on behalf of other groups of people. Everyone has their own lines that they don't like to see crossed but I try to be relaxed even when I'm personally a bit uncomfortable.

Racial jokes are kind of weird. I was raised (as I suspect many Americans were) to consider the n-word pretty much the worst word you could possibly say, which is why I'm still uncomfortable even typing it out, but as an example, Polack jokes were mostly accepted. I assume it's because there isn't as much of a history of discrimination against Poles in America so people were more comfortable with that but I'm not sure how much sense that makes from an objective standpoint. I mostly try to steer clear of racial jokes as a result but I still laugh if I see a genuinely funny one. :/

A little Irish man goes into an elevator & sees a HUGE black guy standing next to him, The black guy sees his curious face & says,
"7ft,350lbs,20inch penis,6lbs of testicles,Turner Brown"
The Irish man faints & falls down. The black dude kneels down & shakes the Irish man to saying,"Whats wrong with you ?!"
In a weak little voice the Irish man asks "what EXACTLY did you say?"
Black guy replies,"Well,I saw your curious face & figured Id give you the answers to the questions everyone asks me, Im 7ft TALL, WEIGH 350lbs, Ive a 20inch penis,each testicle weighs 3lbs & my name is Turner Brown"
The Irish man sighs & says "Turner Brown! be-jesus! I thought you said Turn Around!!"

Eldorion wrote:

Norc wrote:anyways, the joke was a bit unintelligent for me lol. I mean, they don't have masturbation championships..

They don't? Then what was I watching during the Olympics?

you mean.. what were you training for then..

(to both the joke and Norc!)

edit add although the joke would just have been as funny if the man had been white in my view- it doesnt really require the stereotype for the punchline.