Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ccieng5.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!hao!seismo!rochester!ritcv!ccieng5!jbf
From: jbf@ccieng5.UUCP (Jens Bernhard Fiederer)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Re: "Offensive" jokes, minorities, real men, &c.
Message-ID: <426@ccieng5.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 6-May-84 20:05:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: ccieng5.426
Posted: Sun May  6 20:05:13 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 9-May-84 03:27:52 EDT
References: <1439@dartvax.UUCP>
Organization: CCI Central Engineering, Rochester, NY
Lines: 21

I, too, don't believe that ethnics, or supporters of ethnics, need be
offended by jokes that exploit stereotypes.  The jokes, by their
absurdity, mock the stereotypes themselves much more than the ethnic
groups.

The trouble with the <ethnic> jokes is that you can't identify the
stereotypes.  A rich stereotype such as the East-Frisian (my sister was
born in East Frisia -- East Frisians are supposed to eat grass and be
the most violent and stupid people in Germany, and damn proud of it!)
or the Swabians (my personal ethnic group: the Swabians couldn't
figure out how to get a log through a door by reorienting it).

At any rate, I can enjoy jokes about ethnic groups without harboring
any hostility toward that group (such as my own).  While they can
be told in an offensive way, the jokes themselves are acceptable.

Nasreddin Hodja
-- 
"Some people are eccentric, but I am just plain odd"
Reachable as
	....allegra![rayssd,rlgvax]!ccieng5!jbf