Laughing at the absurd in yourself and your group

[Dingfod]

I think it is good to be able to see the absurd in yourself or within your self-identified peer group and be able to laugh about it. I know I wouldn't have a problem with someone satirizing atheists or balding middle-aged fat guys as long as they didn't specifically target me or an individual or try to generalize an entire category of people. Why is it that some people jump right to the conclusion that you are making fun of them specifically or their peer group as a whole? Is it because it hits a bit close to home? Or is it because they are ashamed of some people that are in their self-identified group?

[beyelzu]

Or maybe, they realize that they are in the enemy camp and are used to seeing slander against their particular group.


as to the op without context, just as it stands.


I think that members of some groups have heightened sensitivity because of experience.

If you had made satire about a black football player being really fucking stupid and people were irritated by it, would you understand?


I am not knocking your satire or making jokes exactly, I do the same things. I just think that it is important to understand why some people seem to not get the joke or find offense when none was meant.

[viscousmemories]

Fuck you, Warren! Leave me alone!






:D

[HelenM]

I think it is good to be able to see the absurd in yourself or within your self-identified peer group and be able to laugh about it. I know I wouldn't have a problem with someone satirizing atheists or balding middle-aged fat guys as long as they didn't specifically target me or an individual or try to generalize an entire category of people. Why is it that some people jump right to the conclusion that you are making fun of them specifically or their peer group as a whole? Is it because it hits a bit close to home? Or is it because they are ashamed of some people that are in their self-identified group?

I agree that it's good to be able to laugh at yourself/your own group. As long as it's not unkindly meant. Some peoples jokes about themselves make me uncomfortable because they are so self-deprecating.

If your comments above are partly in response to my response to your Phelps satire, I've realized now that maybe I missed the point of it. I've seen so much meanness on discussion boards directed towards theists that maybe I am too quick to assume that's the basis of any satire about theists that I encounter.

Helen

[Dingfod]

Well, in the specific case, I was only trying to point out the absurdity of the protesters and those that would join in with them. I understand now how even a reasonable person like yourself might conclude I was making fun of Christianity in general. Sorry. Perhaps I was a bit insensitive.

[Adora]

Why is it that some people jump right to the conclusion that you are making fun of them specifically or their peer group as a whole?
Because they're wankers who take themselves too seriously. The internet, unfortunately, is full of them. They wouldn't last two seconds Down Under (Yay for Tall Poppy Syndrome!).

Happy now?

[viscousmemories]

Because their wankers <snip>
What's that about their wankers?

[maddog]

And, ya know, it's 99% of the lawyers that give the rest of us a bad name !!!!

#50

[godfry n. glad]

And, ya know, it's 99% of the lawyers that give the rest of us a bad name !!!!

#50

You and my lawyer are in the same 1%? What a coincidence.

godfry

[seebs]

You and my lawyer are in the same 1%? What a coincidence.

godfry

Heh. My lawyer is one of those guys who works out of a rented office with peeling paint, but only takes cases he thinks are honest. Consumer protection, for instance. I introduced him to a college buddy, announcing that I was pleased to facillitate a meeting of BOTH of Minnesota's honest lawyers. ;)

[pescifish]

If the humor is crafted with consideration of others and for a purpose not just for the benefit of the joker but for the probable audience, then a joke can be delivered with less risk to hurting others.

Then again, there are plenty of hypersensitive people in the world, so fuck 'em.

[SharonDee]

Then again, there are plenty of hypersensitive people in the world, so fuck 'em.
:giggle:

[pescifish]

[I edited out a couple of initial lines in my previous post yesterday. I'd like to add them back in today. Since I'm heading offline, I won't have a chance to delete them this time, even if I do later regret posting it.]


Some people use humor to self medicate their own issues with their own lives. If a person makes fun of him/herself for that purpose, they do so for their own benefit and usually with no regard to the feelings of the people who might hear it. If someone doesn't have the balls to make changes in his/her own miserable absurd life, that doesn't mean everyone else who might be accepting or struggling or trying to change their own similar lives shouldn't get offended by that flippant disregard.

However, if the humor is crafted with consideration of others and for a purpose not just for the benefit of the joker but for the probable audience, then a joke can be delivered with less risk of hurting others.

[flufeemunk]

There is reason that the joker is such a huge symbol of wisdom in Medieval courts...

[viscousmemories]

:welcome: to the FF, flufeemonk.