Can you tell a racist joke & not be racist?

The joke is about the white guy - he's the one saying he's better than the Indian, the Indian uses the white guy's own belief system to prove that he's better than the white guy. It's undercutting.

The discussion was the point of the joke, not what it is "about."
 
I think some of our (English) humour gets lost in translation when it heads west over the Pond, & we maybe have a different mindset over here.

I remember years ago, in watching some US TV, thinking those over the Pond laughed at anything & everything...none of which I found to be funny. But then again many of their shows were heavily laced with canned-laughter, just to give people a clue as to when they should actually laugh, as something supposedly funny had just been spouted, despite it not necessarily having been the case.

Some years on, thru the likes of Friends & Frasier, et al, things changed, and their humour became more humorous to us, & maybe vice versa.

Untruth's over-analysis, over-dissection, & what I can only describe as mega-babble-gymnastics, was also humorous, but I guess he doesn't actually realise. That said, he's not ready for stand-up just yet.

Maybe it's all still work in progress...
This seems like, and it pains me to quote this, "mega-babble-gymnastics" to me. But you've given us the very original idea that British and American humor have different characteristics, so not a complete write-off as a post. 2/10
 
This seems like, and it pains me to quote this, "mega-babble-gymnastics" to me. But you've given us the very original idea that British and American humor have different characteristics, so not a complete write-off as a post. 2/10
Yeah I knew you'd say something like that.
 
The about is the point.
Yes, I would agree that what it's "about" is the point, and the point of a joke is the punchline. Silent Reader thinks "the point of the Indian joke is the White guy is racist but lives next to an Indian" but it's not. That is the premise.

1 "Did you hear the one about the white racist that lived next to an Indian?"
what's your next line?
2 "Did you hear the one about the Indian that lived next to a white racist?"
He thought he was better because at least he didn't live next to an Indian!

To make the first one into a joke you're still going to have to make it about the Indian.
And I bet that guy you're discussing said the punchline in a "funny" Indian accent, right?
 
Yes, I would agree that what it's "about" is the point, and the point of a joke is the punchline. Silent Reader thinks "the point of the Indian joke is the White guy is racist but lives next to an Indian" but it's not. That is the premise.

1 "Did you hear the one about the white racist that lived next to an Indian?"
what's your next line?
2 "Did you hear the one about the Indian that lived next to a white racist?"
He thought he was better because at least he didn't live next to an Indian!

To make the first one into a joke you're still going to have to make it about the Indian.
And I bet that guy you're discussing said the punchline in a "funny" Indian accent, right?
OK, you want to hear a good one in an accent:-

A black woman (let's call her big momma) say to her husband: 'Rastas, we's been together 10 years & we ain't got no kids. There's something wrong with you Rastas, I want you to go to the Dr'

So Rastas goes to the Dr.

When he comes back, he is dressed in a top hat, twirling a cane, with a monacle in.

Big momma says 'Rastas, what the hell are you doing? I told you to go to the Dr's because we ain't got no kids. Why the hell are you dressed like that?'

Rastas says (in a really offensive racist accent) I went to the Dr & I told him I's been married 10 years & I ain't got no kids. And the Dr said i's impotant. And if the Dr says I'm impotant, i's gonna dress impotant!'
 
Who cares if telling a good joke makes you a racist? Blacks aren't bothered about sounding racist at all. In fact many have zero self awareness on the matter.

I see black people being racist towards the Polish and other new Europeans who work in shops all the time. Today while queuing in a shop in Holloway I had to listen to a woman arrogantly lecture a European man for being racist because he politely asked if she would move along in the queue. "I'm not at school, you won't tell me what to do, you don't even know the protocol in this country." When he said in bad English, "I don't mean to be rude" she said, "But you are rude because you're racist. Don't bother denying it, just be honest." Then reaching the counter the very same woman was served by another polite European and after getting flustered said, "God, don't bother putting my card through, you can't even speak the English language," thus being racist herself.

This is not the first time I've seen blacks acting aggressive, racist and talking down to the new Europeans working in shops or on buses etc in London. I've witnessed it many times. London has many races in abundance, but no other race seems to do this.

Thanks BLM. You've worked so well for community relations.
 
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Yes, I would agree that what it's "about" is the point, and the point of a joke is the punchline. Silent Reader thinks "the point of the Indian joke is the White guy is racist but lives next to an Indian" but it's not. That is the premise.

1 "Did you hear the one about the white racist that lived next to an Indian?"
what's your next line?
2 "Did you hear the one about the Indian that lived next to a white racist?"
He thought he was better because at least he didn't live next to an Indian!

To make the first one into a joke you're still going to have to make it about the Indian.
And I bet that guy you're discussing said the punchline in a "funny" Indian accent, right?

The punchline has to subvert the set-up or it would be a one-liner.

The Indian guy is taking the piss out of the white guy.
 
Today while queuing in a shop in Holloway

I hope you were wearing your mask so as to avoid spreading covid-19 since you live in the country with the highest covid rates in Europe? :unsure:

Even during lockdown, despite your hatred of diversity, you can't resist going out and spending time amongst blacks and other races. I wonder why? If London was 100% white you would have nothing to think about or talk about.
 
The punchline has to subvert the set-up or it would be a one-liner.

The Indian guy is taking the piss out of the white guy.
He wasn't an Indian, he was a Pakistani and the actual words were:

Manning: "So why do you say you're a better man than me then?'

Manning's Pakistani next door neighbour: "Because I'm not the one living next to a P*ki."
 
Whatever I am, I find Bernard Manning the king of comedy. Just like Mark E Smith.

Because you think he's a petty racist like you. He dug his heels in about offensive language, outside of that he's pretty much revered in comedy.
 
He wasn't an Indian, he was a Pakistani and the actual words were:

Manning: "So why do you say you're a better man than me then?'

Manning's Pakistani next door neighbour: "Because I'm not the one living next to a P*ki."

It works the same way. Throwing it back.
 
The punchline has to subvert the set-up or it would be a one-liner.

The Indian guy is taking the piss out of the white guy.
I agree that "the punchline has to subvert the set-up." "Or it would be a one-liner" isn't relevant and while it is arguable I have my limits.

This next line though, "The Indian guy is taking the piss out of the white guy," is a matter of interpretation. If it were a contemporary comedian, and particularly if it was "an Indian guy" telling it, I'd agree that your somewhat "woke" (half-a-shot of espresso) interpretation is apparent, but as it is with a white man telling the joke to a white audience I think it's more likely that the underlying idea that subverts the set-up is that Indians are also racist against themselves and would prefer to have white neighbors.
It's then seen as a message that if you happen to be bothered by Indians you're not a bad person. They also bother each other!
Either interpretation is possible. Yours is not supported by anything that is actually said and given the context I find it very unlikely, but I'm sure you'll explain how it's actually the only valid interpretation with the same conviction you show when explaining Morrissey's various statements.
 
It works the same way. Throwing it back.
Yes, Manning knew what he was doing. He takes the mick out of all races and himself. No one escapes unscathed.

I'd say he's revered by the working class, but the media class find him repulsive which is why they never air him on TV. They have no humour. A mixed society works better if we laugh at our differences. But they don't want that.
 
Yes, Manning knew what he was doing. He takes the mick out of all races and himself. No one escapes unscathed.

I'd say he's revered by the working class, but the media class find him repulsive which is why they never air him on TV. They have no humour. A mixed society works better if we laugh at our differences. But they don't want that.
He must be one of those people that is "famous in England."
 
I hope you were wearing your mask so as to avoid spreading covid-19 since you live in the country with the highest covid rates in Europe? :unsure:

Even during lockdown, despite your hatred of diversity, you can't resist going out and spending time amongst blacks and other races. I wonder why? If London was 100% white you would have nothing to think about or talk about.
Yes, I was the only one in the shop not wearing a mask. But I tend not to wear them in flu season.

I think your last sentence is actually very perceptive. I've thought that myself sometimes.

Then again I'm more of an observer than a hater.
 
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