Things We Make Jokes About - Are all jokes in good taste?

INTRODUCTION:

Greetings. I hope this post finds you all well. Everyone loves a good joke. However, tonight's topic is NOT about a good or bad joke. It is about the things joke about. The truth is, although sad but true, there is some truth in every joke. After all, if there weren't, no comedian would have anything to joke about. I thought this was a good article. CHECK IT OUT.

THE PROBLEM WITH JOKES:

Are there do's and don't? What is considered acceptable, and what is not? I love a good comedian. I regularly frequented Caroline's in New York when I lived in Connecticut.

I think we could all agree that if you go to a comedy club and sit close to the stage or in the front row, the odds are you will get picked on. Every comedian has to pick on someone. That is one way they get the audience involved in their show. However, you must have a thick skin. If not, you will quickly become irritated. We also must remember this type of entertainment is just that. Entertainment. You can't take it personally.

Some comedians are quite raw, and no subject is beyond approach and language; swearing is the norm. Probably not the best place for a refined person to be. Or one that becomes offended easily. Society, in general, has become a platform where without swearing, people do not believe their point is made, or a joke is funny.

Nothing is off-limits, and no subject is sacred. With that said, we've all seen that recently. some comics have seen people react badly to the jokes addressed to them. Will Smith's attack on Chris Rock is a perfect example of this. Many comedians have modified their acts to make fun of themselves and their family members. Take Sebastian as an example. I happen to like him a great deal. His claim to fame started with his joking about his father and Italian upbringing and his wife's heritage in the act. People can relate to this type of humor mainly because it is NOT pointed directly at them. It is not viewed as insulative or a direct insult. Take Ralphiw Mae as another example. Although he left this earth way too young, that man could insult every ethnic background, race, color, and creed and make it funny. No one felt insulted.

Whereas Andrew Dice Clay, who I also liked, could easily insult someone. You better not be sitting in a front-row seat at one of his shows. Not too many were as explicit as he. However, times have changed. People are not as accepting of different types of jokes as in the past. A comedian has to judge their audience and see quickly what is working and what is not.

Another thing people do is say something to another. If they see it offends them, their first response is, "I was only joking." Were they? Or were they saying what they felt was part of the truth in what they said?

CAN JOKES BE IN BAD TASTE:

To the meat of this post. I believe some forms of joking are in bad taste and, for me, unacceptable. For example, making fun of or making jokes about people who are handicapped or have died in a tragic accident. How far will people go to get a laugh? Do you think jokes of that type are funny? Do they make you laugh?

Like most, I use social media. What irritates me to no end is the memes people create about tragedies where people have lost their lives. Let's take the recent tragic loss of the five lives lost on OceanGate's submersible sub to tour the Titanic. Let me remind you that one of those lives was a young boy. Regardless of the facts surrounding the incident, to joke about it and belittle the death of five people is unacceptable, heartless, and cruel.

Yes, those five people do not see the jokes and memes created that circulate social media, but probably the families of these people do. Don't you think they are going through enough just coping with their loss? Yet, some sick people in this world will make jokes about it. I'm sorry, but that is sick humor. Dealing with daily life can be challenging at best for everyone from time to time. However, add the death of a loved one to that, and it makes it harder. Add the sick jokes about it to the equation, and the families are further devastated. All to get a laugh.

To what extent will some people go to to get a laugh? What about those who hit the "LIKE" button for these memes? Are they just as sick in the head? Feel free to refer to two blog posts ago on the topic of social media "Like" buttons. Now the families not only have to see these sick jokes, but they also have to see how many people liked them.

Tragedy may always seem funny to some when it happens to others. It's not so funny if it happens in their family. My father always said never to make fun of old or handicapped people. You'll be old one day, or you might be handicapped one day. Would you want someone making fun of you?

IN CLOSING:

What does it take to make a society, and what type of society do you want? As a people, we will never be perfect. However, as a people, we also learn quite slowly and repeat our mistakes. A saying I like goes like this:

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY BECAUSE ONCE YOU SAY IT, YOU CAN'T TAKE IT BACK!

That, my friends, is the truth. I am sure many of you have had things said to you, and the person saying them tells you they didn't mean it, but honestly, you never forget it. As people, we all share one common communication failure. We don't think about what we say before we say it, especially when angry. I follow one simple rule. I WILL NOT ARGUE. If I'm angry, we'll talk about it when we have both calmed down. It's a simple rule, and it works.

When it comes to jokes that are not in good taste or unacceptable, they will continue as long as people accept them. The problem is people do not take a stand when they should. It's easier to hit the "LIKE" button than respond with something that tells the individual their joke or meme is in bad taste and should remove it. Heck, I do. I don't care if the person who posted it likes my comment. I don't need their approval to live by the standards I set for myself.

Things, all things, only become acceptable when people accept them. When they are rejected, they stop. Comedy can be fun, entertaining, and a great way to relieve stress. However, it can also cause harm and be hurtful to some. How about we all go with the first part and set the second part aside? We are a society. We all share in it. We can either make it or break it. Thank you.