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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!mason
From: mason@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Mason)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.jokes
Subject: Topics of Jokes
Message-ID: <2648@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Nov-83 18:05:56 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.2648
Posted: Mon Nov  7 18:05:56 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 10-Nov-83 14:22:21 EST
References: <148@sb1.UUCP> <318@pyuxn.UUCP>
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 23

The real problem is that virtually all jokes are made at the expense of
someone else.  Some common jokes on the net include: man/woman with no
arms/legs, deaf people, people being raped, perceived abberant sexual
behavior, etc.  Though I understand the humor involved in all of them,
and in fact smile at virtually all of them, I wonder if they have a
cathartic effect on us and allow us to suppress the tribal dislike for
those different than ourselves; or if they have a degrading effect that
reinforces that dislike and turns us into people that provide fertile
ground for ones such as Hitler & the KKK.
  Even the jokes that are not offensive to others (the defecation & some
sexual jokes) seem to undermine our views of ourselves as they reinforce
arbitrary childhood taboos.  A prime example of this is the (very funny)
3 cherries joke.  The disgust engenderred by this joke is truly amazing,
but I wonder if it is a positive force, or a negative one.
  What all this boils down to is I think a statement that all jokes should be
fair game, or no jokes should be allowed.  Anything in between is pandering
to someone's particular prejudices & tastes.  This is not to say that some
jokes *should* not offend people & they obviously do, so I think it is
vital to specify any parties who are likely to take offense at a joke on
the title line and to rot13 MOST jokes.
 -- Dave Mason, U. Toronto CSRG,
        {cornell,watmath,ihnp4,floyd,allegra,utzoo,uw-beaver}!utcsrgv!mason
     or {decvax,linus,research}!utzoo!utcsrgv!mason   (UUCP)