British Comedy Guide

The ultimate taboo? Page 6

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 19 2008, 1:54 PM GMT

I really think a specific joke about a specific act on a specific, and named, young girl is worse than jokes about an event that happened to millions. I just do. Both can be seen as moraly shaky, but surely the gag about the murdered girl is worse? Come on Sooty now.

No not all not for a second.

That's dangerous, as Hitler said one death is murder, a thousand is a statistic.

To the families who survived genocide, then the jokes are as personal.

And that really isn't just opinion.

For what it's worth I believe in no censorship.

I just wish someone would Andrew Sachs so I could write a sketch about it.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 19 2008, 1:55 PM GMT

You're really not helping yourself with that defence! Laughing out loud

Is he not our God king?

Quote: zooo @ November 19 2008, 1:53 PM GMT

Dolly, different people find different things funny. They also deal with sadness/shock differently. This does not make them deranged or sick. It just means they have a different sense of humour to you.

And some people like torturing animals. Guess it just means they have different hobbies to me. :D

People who torture animals are commiting an actual act of phyiscal cruelty.

There's a diference.

Apart from that Parrot I drove to suicide with my standup routine.

Quote: sootyj @ November 19 2008, 2:01 PM GMT

No not all not for a second.

That's dangerous, as Hitler said one death is murder, a thousand is a statistic.

To the families who survived genocide, then the jokes are as personal.

And that really isn't just opinion.

For what it's worth I believe in no censorship.

I just wish someone would Andrew Sachs so I could write a sketch about it.

I'm against censorship, but I can still distinguish between levels of depravity! :D

And I just disagree with your point anyway. And it's not dangerous. And don't bring up Hitler and all that!

If you think that making general jokes about the Holocaust, or cancer, or whatever, is the same as a very specific joke about a particular girl, then I just think you're wrong. I imagine you now agree with me and will back down.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 19 2008, 2:03 PM GMT

And some people like torturing animals. Guess it just means they have different hobbies to me. :D

I beat old ladies.
Is that so wrong?

Hmm I was in a fascianting discussion/debate on antisemitisim a couple of years ago about South Park oddly enough.

Result being; Hard to be a Jew at Xmas ok, Jewbilee not.

So I can say categorically that some Holocaust survivors there, would consider any joke on the subject personal.

Though not neccasairly offensive.

The same can be said of other people I've met who survived other genocides.

Individualisation adds a dangerous degree of sentimentality to any censorship debate.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ November 19 2008, 2:07 PM GMT

I'm against censorship, but I can still distinguish between levels of depravity! :D

And I just disagree with your point anyway. And it's not dangerous. And don't bring up Hitler and all that!

If you think that making general jokes about the Holocaust, or cancer, or whatever, is the same as a very specific joke about a particular girl, then I just think you're wrong. I imagine you now agree with me and will back down.

Well I agree with you Matthew. I often get feedback that stuff I write (to my surprise) is very dark and sometimes a bit sick, so I wouldn't say I'm Mary Poppins (though I am practically perfect in every way), but I like to think I know where to draw lines, because I do care about other people's feelings to a certain extent.

Quote: zooo @ November 19 2008, 2:09 PM GMT

I beat old ladies.

Is that a euphemism?

Quote: zooo @ November 19 2008, 2:09 PM GMT

I beat old ladies.
Is that so wrong?

That's only because you're so good at Bingo.

Arf arf!

Quote: zooo @ November 19 2008, 2:09 PM GMT

I beat old ladies.


What at? Whist? :D

Laughing out loud

Who knew you all had so many old lady jokes.

Quote: Dolly Dagger @ November 19 2008, 2:12 PM GMT

Well I agree with you Matthew. I often get feedback that stuff I write (to my surprise) is very dark and sometimes a bit sick, so I wouldn't say I'm Mary Poppins (though I am practically perfect in every way), but I like to think I know where to draw lines, because I do care about other people's feelings to a certain extent.

The lines are where the real danger lies.

Because if you're on the wrong side your an "acceptable target."

Like those poor sods in the BNP who had their privacy violated.

They commited no crime and political discretion is the cornerstone of any democracy.

Quote: Griff @ November 19 2008, 2:13 PM GMT

Applying endless tortuous logic here to say "but this isn't consistent with that, and what about that other joke" is just pissing in the wind.

The point isn't whether things should or shouldn't offend people, the question is, whether people actually do find it offensive or not.

Which you can't gauge by examining the logic of the joke, only by asking people what they think of it.

It's fairly clear that rightly or wrongly, most people would be offended by jokes about the death of Baby P. You might choose to ignore that, for example if you don't give a f**k about other people.

So then it's up to you as a writer or performer whether to do those jokes or not, and where to send/perform them. There's probably an audience somewhere that'll lap them up. Even if it does mean a career doing open mic spots in maximum security prisons.

I think an 85 debate summed up in one post, I agree,

Quote: Griff @ November 19 2008, 2:13 PM GMT

It's fairly clear that rightly or wrongly, most people would be offended by jokes about the death of Baby P. You might choose to ignore that, for example if you don't give a f**k about other people.

So then it's up to you as a writer or performer whether to do those jokes or not, and where to send/perform them. There's probably an audience somewhere that'll lap them up. Even if it does mean a career doing open mic spots in maximum security prisons.

And rightly or wrongly some people *can* find them funny.

Do they not deserve jokes because they're different to you? I find that very judgemental.

Do you honestly and genuinely think that I and the few other people on this thread who admit to having the capability to laugh at very dark subject matter are mentally defective and should be in high security prisons?

Just curious to know. :)

I'm with the Double D!

:)

Quote: zooo @ November 19 2008, 2:15 PM GMT

And rightly or wrongly some people *can* find them funny.

Do they not deserve jokes because they're different to you? I find that very judgemental.

Do you honestly and genuinely think that I and the few other people on this thread who admit to having the capability to laugh at very dark subject matter are mentally defective and should be in high security prisons?

Just curious to know. :)

Damn now I agree with Zoo.

This must be what it's like to be a LibDem.

Jokes can open things up and shed light.

Send in the clowns I say (to a concentration camp?)

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