Q&A: Why are jokes about Irish people considered less offensive than jokes about other ethnic groups?
July 12, 2010
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Posted by admin
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Question: Why are jokes about Irish people considered less offensive than jokes about other ethnic groups?
I mean, you can buy jokes books in the book stores that contain “Irish jokes” and all the stereotypes about Irish people (stupid, drunk, etc.). But if there were books like that about other ethnic groups (Blacks, Jews, Hispanics, Asians) there would be community outrage.
What are the social and political reasons for these differing “standards”?
What gives Irish people, in general, the ability “laugh off” jokes that stereotype them?
The following is the answer:
Answer by liline02
I think it might be b/c sometimes the people making the jokes are irish themselves. Same goes for most other ethnic group I think in that capacity really.
Answer by bazspur3
i have not heard any for a while. irish people make jokes about people from kerry and believe me they have plenty of things to say about the english.
Answer by William B
I don’t find your basic premise to be true; i.e. Irish jokes are okay in our p.c. society and it sounds like you are implying that other races are both protected and uptight. Neither do I find true. If you have not seen a book of Jewish jokes lately you haven’t been looking very hard. Read some Lewis Black if you need some good jew jokes. The jews, and no I am not, have a great sense of humor about themselves. Haven’t heard any Asian jokes, then you haven’t been listening to Margeret Cho lately. And Chris Rock uses the N word all the time and not always in a polite way.
Some individuals of any category are going to be more sensitive than some others and then some jokes are more offensive, usually because said jokes were meant to be offensive and not funny, and will be taken as such. Really except for a certain Religious group who shall go unnamed people generally have a pretty good sense of humor about themselves. Then again if your grandmother was killed in a concentration camp maybe you would not appreciate certain jokes either.
Answer by crawfordtheman
We all like to laugh at ourselves, it makes us feel good. We make fun of one group, but, we know it’s too close to home (making fun of ourselves.) Think of Jay Leno, he’ll make fun of his own mother if he needs to, to get his audience to laugh. Laughing at ourselves makes us all human…
Answer by shadyshinobi
I think it has a lot to do with the idea that the Irish are much more initiated into American life, and thus the Jokes are more obsolete and thus forgivable. For example, no real persecution on par with Jews or African-Americans.
Still bad in my view, but just explaining the logic.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
Categories: Today’s Joke
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Tags: About, Considered, ethnic, groups, Irish, jokes, less, offensive, Other, People, Than
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Perhaps because we don’t take it personally and we do have a sense of humor. People are just too reactionary. Not sure that it’s a different standard – just that we see it for what it is – no big deal.
I dont know how the steriotypefor the irish being stupid got there. ‘No matter a dam how many pints the irish man has down him, he’ll always take the english man for all he’s worth.’ Straight from the mouth of me granda ! legend.
The irish are the people who can laugh about themselves. From that i take that we are more secure than any other race.
Here’s a pure blinder !
An American, a Pollock, and an Irishman walk into a pub and order a glass of beer. All three men have a fly in their beer. The American hands the beer back to the bartender and demands another beer. The Pollock picks the fly out of the beer and then slams the beer. The Irishman gets extremely upset, picks up the fly, slaps him on the arse and yells, SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT!!
IM IRISH ! UP DA R.A. !