Ben,
Do you find stereotypes funny when used by stand-up comics?

(October 8, 2014 at 7:59 am)Exian Wrote: Ben,
Do you find stereotypes funny when used by stand-up comics?

Sometimes. It depends on the joke and the comic. There's lots of dark comedy that I find hilarious, in the right circumstances. I find it helps to fight the darkness if you can laugh at it.

(October 8, 2014 at 7:59 am)Exian Wrote: Ben,
Do you find stereotypes funny when used by stand-up comics?

I think I despise stand up comics.

(October 8, 2014 at 9:35 am)Alex K Wrote: I think I despise stand up comics.

I think that's a crass generalisation

Well, then stereotypes treated in any comedic sense. Phrase it that way.

(October 8, 2014 at 6:31 am)Exian Wrote: Alice, I think you cut to the heart of my unsettled feelings after that experience. I can sort of relate it to the stories that popped up after 9/11 about people making a big deal when a middle-eastern guy boarded a flight they were on. In the comfort of my home, I would classify those people as ill-informed and quick to judgement; another part of me understood their point of view, but mainly I would distance myself from them. I'm well aware of the affect the media can have on me, and I liked to think I was able to temper any bias with either just acknowledging it or informing myself, but none of that ultimately mattered when faced with what I thought was a real threat. Maybe in the end, I was too quick to judge those people.

And this goes exactly to what I was saying earlier, about profiling being a form of stereotyping, and why I feel deeply uncomfortable when it pops up in my head.

I reckon it is a form of racism, but I also reckon that being aware of it, and acting fully in the conviction that it's wrong, allows me to make corrections to my behavior -- things like taking note of non-sterotypical behavior, asking what-if questions, imagining myself being on the receiving end of it.

I see the term 'racist' or 'racism' thrown around a little too freely in a lot of progressive circles. I've actually talked to people who claim that objecting to Obama's economic policies is racism and, at best, that's really watering down the term. It makes me think we need a new term entirely for what Martin Luther King Jr. had to put up with. And it bothers me that now, I can't even respond to legitimate racism without being dismissed because assholes have over used the term.

Do I have issues with race? I dunno. I have issues with culture, I'll admit that. I don't speak Spanish, which has become a bit of an issue since moving to Houston. But even with other English speakers, there can be a cultural divide. I worked at a job where I was only one of about 3 white people, while another 20+ people were black. And I don't have anything against them for being black, but it was sometimes difficult to relate with them. I mean, I have no idea what a weave is, I only have a vague idea what a grille is (not certain if they're talking about teeth or those fake gold teeth coverings) and I despise rap music (and don't even get me started on those damn Madea videos, but I think I have other, non-racial reasons for objecting to those). So, where does that put me when so many of my racial minority co-workers were into a culture I knew so little about?

(October 8, 2014 at 9:35 am)Alex K Wrote: I think I despise stand up comics.

That's occupationist.

(October 7, 2014 at 2:06 am)Jenny A Wrote:

I am a little. Once upon a time, long, long ago when I was freshmen in college a young woman described a good choice for our study group. He's wearing a red sweater she said. Well the student center had over a hundred people in it. Red was in. And the room was 95 % white. I couldn't see him. He was black.

Ah ha! Racist. But if color didn't matter, why didn't she just say he was one of the only three black men in the room.? I hate this gotcha. Race for identification isn't racist. Pretending you don't see skin color may not be racist either, but it's silly, because you do.

Anyone skin color blind? I don't believe you.

A little racist? How can you help it?

The moral question is how do you act?

I try to make sure any would be victims of my racism does not suffer in anyway whatsoever on account of my racism. My racism is not their fault.