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From: bbanerje@sjuvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Generic ethnic jokes - a suggestion.
Message-ID: <128@sjuvax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Oct-83 08:37:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: sjuvax.128
Posted: Tue Oct 25 08:37:11 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 28-Oct-83 03:39:10 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: Saint Josephs U. Philadelphia, PA
Lines: 31

Ethnic jokes are despicable, reprehensible and disgusting.
However, they have proved to be very endurable.
This may be due to the fact that everyone has certain
internal stereotypes regarding other ethnic groups --
(no, I'm not going to tell you what mine are!).
Also, ethnic jokes are frequently funny!
Don't misunderstand me.  As a member of a minority community,
I am especially sensitive to ethnic slights, irrespective
of the target.

The solution is obvious.  What we need are generic ethnic jokes.
National traits don't really vary that much.  We can generally
manage to attribute the failures, shortcomings or weakness dis-
played in these jokes to any group we don't particularly care for.

If everyone wrote ethnic jokes dealing with people who couldn't 
possibly take umbrage -- Neptunians, Martians and Lilliputians
spring readily to mind; then each individual could internalise
these according to their own personal set of prejudices.

In this vein, I have submitted the first of what will hopefully
become the norm -- the generic ethnic joke.  It's not particulary
offensive, nor particularly good.  Hopefully it will encourage
others to couch their own jokes in a less offensive fashion.
Most of us read jokes for amusement -- not to be left with a
feeling of distaste.

Flames or comments to :

             Binayak Banerjee
{psuvax|presby|sdcrdcf}!burdvax!sjuvax!bbanerje