[Mr-Knowitall20362]

Can someone tell me why it’s OK for black comedians such as Damon Wayans, Martin Lawrence, Chris Rock, etc. to make racist jokes concerning white people, but when a white comedian makes a joke about blacks, he/she’s considered racist?

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Name : Mr-Knowitall20362, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, City : N/A, State : CO, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Normand-O-L19934]

Given how double standards have become so widely accepted, this should not be surprising. We have been told that quotas are not really quotas, that affirmative action is not really reverse racism and that women are qualified for combat roles. Racist jokes do not cease to be racist because of who tells the joke, yet in the minds of many this is exactly the case. It shows a certain degree of morality on the part of those who denounce racism while encouraging, by silence, racism.

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[Keeping-It-Real]

Comedians tell jokes, and jokes are told to make even a diverse group of listeners laugh. They are not based on prejudices. I’ve heard Caucasian, African American and Asian comedians make fun of all races, including their own. Damon Wayans especially brings out what is comical about all people, and I’ve never heard anything demeaning. Of course, there are a lot of wanna-be comedians who send tasteless ethnic jokes across the Internet.

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Name : Keeping-It-Real, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : St. Louis, State : MO, Country : United States, Occupation : Human Resources, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[D. Pierce]

Black people, whether famous comedians or not, choose to laugh about white people because this is a form of release. So many racial things have happened, and instead of reacting violently, they choose to laugh about it. Black comedians also make jokes about all kinds of people. We are different and, in the way of comedy, we are also different. We do not sunburn as easily, we do not have naturally straight hair, etc. I hope you are getting my drift. Sometimes the only way to deal with something or someone is to poke fun (the bully in junior high, who is so different from the other kids).

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[Angee]

It is never acceptable to make fun of or degrade others. I don’t understand why people accept the material of those particular comedians, while if the situations were reversed all hell would break loose.

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Name : Angee, Gender : F, Race : Black and Indian, City : Clarksville, State : TN, Country : United States, Occupation : Retail, 

[Ken]

I believe they do it because they can. For years, whites have made blacks the butt of a lot of their jokes. From minstrel shows to early comic strips to the Our Gang comedies to Amos and Andy to Rochester to J.J. from Good Times, blacks and their supposed mannerisms and actions and dialects have been fodder for jokes. Blacks have been directly addressing humor at the expense of white people only since the ’60s (at least that is my estimate, taking into account people like Dick Gregory). Imagine Damon Wayons making his jokes in the 40s. He’d have been blackballed from the stage, if not outright killed. So now, the pendulum has swung the other way, and sorry to say, you have to listen to some of the humor now.

Incidentially, if you don’t think whites are making jokes at the expense of blacks today, look at such white-produced crap like “Homeboys From Outer Space” or the Jackie Childs character from Seinfield. Yes, I know Childs was based on Johnnie Cochran, but how far removed was that character from Kingfish on Amos and Andy?

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[William-N]

Two wrongs do not make a right. Why play this little back and forth game? Why should whites now pay for what thier elders/predecessors did? Why can’t everyone just grow up and quit playing this childish game? Is revenge the correct way of solving problems?

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Name : William-N, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, 

[Jackie21220]

Of course I wouldn’t complain about that. You don’t hear me complaining about Jeff Foxworthy making fun of (white) rednecks. I don’t hear men complaining about Tim Allen’s routine ‘Men Are Pigs’ either. That’s because Tim is a man. But I always hear black comedians making fun of white people, and I never hear white comedians making fun of blacks – because then it becomes racist.

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[Korey]

I totally agree with your post, thanks for saying what you did.

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