02-06-2009, 11:49 PM
Context is key.
That joke, delivered by a black comedian, might be considered funny by his or her stand-up audience.
That joke, sent in an email by a white Republican official in a county with some history of tension ...
... probably wouldn't be seen as funny, ya think?
You have a choice. Either lament what you may view as a double-standard that only permits humor to be expressed in limited circumstances or recognize that some people view it as racist.
The answer tends to lie in the margins. Very few racists will walk around wearing a sign claiming they are racist. They can't be counted on to send emails stating, "I am a racist." The nature of the beast takes many forms, usually subtle ones that would easily pass for humor, concern etc. at other times.
That joke, delivered by a black comedian, might be considered funny by his or her stand-up audience.
That joke, sent in an email by a white Republican official in a county with some history of tension ...
Hillsborough has been a magnet for racially charged controversies in the Republican Party in recent months. Former county chairman David Storck was roundly criticized for forwarding an e-mail lamenting the many blacks voting early in the presidential election, and former state party finance chairman Al Austin apologized for forwarding an e-mail joke referring to the assassination of Obama.
... probably wouldn't be seen as funny, ya think?
You have a choice. Either lament what you may view as a double-standard that only permits humor to be expressed in limited circumstances or recognize that some people view it as racist.
The answer tends to lie in the margins. Very few racists will walk around wearing a sign claiming they are racist. They can't be counted on to send emails stating, "I am a racist." The nature of the beast takes many forms, usually subtle ones that would easily pass for humor, concern etc. at other times.