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From: rb@ccivax.UUCP (rex ballard)
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d,net.women
Subject: Re: Offensive humor
Message-ID: <380@ccivax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 18:52:02 EST
Article-I.D.: ccivax.380
Posted: Fri Feb  7 18:52:02 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 04:26:11 EST
References: <428@mmm.UUCP> <9096@amdcad.UUCP>
Reply-To: rb@ccivax.UUCP (What's in a name ?)
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In article <9096@amdcad.UUCP> phil@amdcad.UUCP (Phil Ngai) writes:
>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)? 
>Yes, there are plenty of jokes which are inoffensive. Here's three
>1) A woman dreamt she was talking to God when He sneezed....
	Could offend some religious sects.
>2) Two crazy people are talking to each other....
	Offensive to 'crazy people', anyone treated for mental illness.
>3) It's been discovered that you can get a disease from kissing birds...
	Offensive to bird lovers, also to for/against beastiality.

Comedians know what's funny and why.  In essence, humor is the art of
giving the audience a 'third person' view of someone elses misfortune.

To be funny, the subject must be someone the audience does not identify
with at that moment.  An audience will very rarely 'laugh at itself'.
They will laugh at things they did ten minutes ago, but rarely something
they are doing now.

There is one joke that is funny, frequently works, and breaks
these basic rules.

Without warning, tell someone not to laugh.

They will eventually start laughing because they don't understand why
they shouldn't.

The joke immediately becomes offensive to the victim however because,
they don't know why they are laughing (you are making fun of their
lack of self control).

Tickling someone has the same effect.

In effect, the humorist is attempting to tickle you psychologically.
If you actually thought about what you were laughing at, you would
not laugh.

I used to be a commedian, but gave it up because it was so offensive.
Especially off stage.