Can You Take a Joke?

It all boils down to the pervasive "me" mentality.

It seems all humor is offensive to someone...usually because it involves a stereotype...

And humor isn't funny if there isn't an element of truth to it.

I've always heard that if you throw a stone into a pack of wild dogs,the one that gets hit will holler.

Now days it only requires a grain if sand to make one holler.

I am offended by your opinion of humor,and by the use of the word stereotype.

Is this the right room for an argument?

Society has become a round table of offense,with each blaming the person to his(her) right for the offense.And round and round it goes,in a never ending spiral.

Almost by definition, humour is offensive. Take the most simplistic of visual jokes about somebody slipping on a banana skin - what on earth is funny about a person falling and possibly suffering injury. We laugh, but do we ?

It's no chance that fear and laughter manifest in similar ways - increased breathing rate, mouth pulled into a stretched position. Laughter is an evolved coping mechanism.

There are exceptions - I recently watched a squirrel try climb a greasy pole. Tears of laughter all over as it shot thru space-time.

I always suspected you were a fellow Brit

That's a cleaned up version for tender Australians.

I've always told people who work with / for me that they'll need a thick skin. But I can also take anything that they can throw at me. Sadly these days we have to weigh every word or silly glance. From day to day people change, today I can joke around with "Joe" but tomorrow "Joe" may take offence to the same joke. It's a terrible way to live. We seem to have forgotten the sentiment immediately following WW1/WW2 or 9/11.

Just as HTR said, it is over when we are no longer able to laugh at ourselves.

Well then, Sir, I shall NEVER have to worry because I am ALWAYS laughing at myself!

There is a fine line between humor that "laughs at ourselves" versus humor intended to be cruel. And that line is often defined in how that humor is delivered. Unfortunately, the hyper-sensitive P.C. environment that exists today sucks all the fun out of entertainment/humor.

People who are confident in themselves are comfortable laughing at themselves.

Those most easily offended are probably the most insecure.

We all have our own special foibles. It's what makes us human.

I've never believed that the P.C. environment would have anything other than a negative effect on any society. Unfortunately we've become infected and are now outnumbered by politicians who (may or may not agree with the P.C. style, but) are more concerned with re-election than the safety or the future of out country.

My brother produces stand up comedy shows in NJ and PA (and sometimes as far as Mexico and Canada) and his talent have to rework their acts regularly to not offend ANYBODY in the crowd. I personally go to comedy shows to be picked on by the performer.

Unfortunately, humor will offend anybody who cannot laugh at themselves. Comedy acts are going to have to accept that they will offend somebody.

Unfortunately, there exist significant double standards in our current society where it is acceptable to 'offend' certain groups but not others.

Also known as ‘the woke’ establishment. And being frail minded where the appearance is ever so slightly inferred to them... are offended.

You might not see or hear them... but are lurking in the shadows... waiting to be offended.

NEWS FLASH!

They have finally deciphered the old radio signals from Venus.

The data has been stored on tape for over 60 years because they could not figure it out back then.A bored researcher awoke with a start,and suddenly an idea occurred to him and he went into the archives and dug it out:

Here is a link to the signal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uILF_opVQmI

Lighten up,everyone!

Life is short!

Eat dessert first.!