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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!stolaf!mmm!mrgofor
From: mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (Michael Ross)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Subject: Offensive humor
Message-ID: <428@mmm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 29-Jan-86 15:09:48 EST
Article-I.D.: mmm.428
Posted: Wed Jan 29 15:09:48 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 00:19:17 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
Lines: 37

Dear net.people:

	I have been thinking about this "Ohmigod I've been raped"
joke and the idea that feminists have no sense of humor. My personal
experience is that a sense of humor is inversely related to the rabidity
of the feminist. I have noticed that these rabid feminists usually have
no sense of humor about anything, but that in particular, they do not
think any joke is funny if it contains the word "woman".

	This brings me to the idea that most people don't have a sense
of humor about things they are very concerned about - in the case of
feminists this means any kind of sexual stereotyping or whatever. In the
case of Ethiopians, they probably wouldn't laugh too hard at Ethiopian
jokes. Rock Hudson's family is probably not rolling in the aisles over
AIDS jokes, etc.

	The question: Are ALL jokes offensive in SOME way to SOMEone?
Can anyone supply a joke that is completely inoffensive to anybody
(yet still funny to someone)? 

	Of course, there are plenty of people willing and able to poke
fun at themselves and their own foibles. Is it a necessary trait that
people be offended by subjects that affect them? 

	The second question - are feminists more prone to taking offense
than other groups? If so, why? I suspect that the offense one takes is
related to the severity of the negative attributes of belonging to the
group in question. (translated: Johnny Carson is less likely to be 
offended by divorce jokes than an Ethiopian is by starvation jokes.)
The corollary to this question: where on the scale (not offended ... outraged)
SHOULD feminists be?

	I really would like to hear some non-offensive jokes, if anybody
can think of any. Please post them, let's see if anybody is offended.


	--MKR