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From: ins_acae@jhunix.UUCP (Carolyn Ann Ewald)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.women
Subject: Re: Offensive humor
Message-ID: <1726@jhunix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Feb-86 21:17:53 EST
Article-I.D.: jhunix.1726
Posted: Mon Feb  3 21:17:53 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 7-Feb-86 08:34:14 EST
References: <428@mmm.UUCP> <9096@amdcad.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. Computing Ctr.
Lines: 27
Xref: watmath net.jokes.d:1408 net.women:8731

> In article <428@mmm.UUCP> mrgofor@mmm.UUCP (Michael Ross) writes:
> >	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)? 

	****Theory:  (stated as a question)  Is all humor really based
on laughing at someone else who is hurt, discomfited, embarrassed, 
made to look inferior, placed in an undignified situation, etc ? 

	I can't think of a single joke where there isn't someone who is
the loser. In the long run, I find that humor is simply the process of
laughing at someone who is worse off than we are. (I mean, hey, I *LOVE*
the far side, so I accuse myself)  Sexual humor is largely a way we
poor males have of laughing off our insecurities (I mean, how many jokes
have *YOU* heard about being hung like a horse ?!?!)  Maybe all humor 
is simply an interrupted defense mechanism. I have followed the constant
venting of spleen back and forth on net.women, and there seems to be
good evidence to support my theory: THE ONE PERSON WHO IS GUARANTEED
NOT TO LAUGH IS THE BUTT OF THE JOKE.   
	Maybe the key is to simply try to keep our jokes directed at
an audience that will be statistically more likely to be appreciative.
Maybe compassion and an appreciation of other people's dignity will
do the trick. Maybe it's better to just give up our senses of humor and
admit the joke's on us.

	-Ornamental Male *^)
		-Marcus J Ranum  (h462aamjr@gallua.BITNET)