[ExI] Humour (was: Re: thinking about the unthinkable)

[Ben Zaiboc]

On 31/08/2026 12:33, spike wrote:
>
> I am reminded of a popular internet meme:  
>
> To those who always draw back the shower curtain to make sure there is no boogey man hiding back there:  suppose one day you snatch back that curtain and there… he… is...    What, exactly, is your plan?


To be honest, that's never on my mind. I usually draw back the shower curtain in the breathless anticipation that there might be a nubile 19-year-old in there, soaping up (to be clear, I mean a 19-year-old female. Yes, I'm straight and I'm proud! (I'm also an unashamed white male baby-boomer)). In such a case, I can say that yes, I do have a plan. It does not involve chain-saws, napalm or shotguns. It might, depending on the circumstances, involve chloroform. You did not hear me say that, and in any case, it was a joke. A Joke! Please do not set the Loony Left on me!

Which brings me to a more serious question: Does anyone here think that there are subjects that are not, or should not, be fair game for humour?

Just to be clear: I don't think so. In my opinion, anything and everything is fair game for a joke. That includes the most heinous and horrible things that, if real, we would be revolted by. I think it's important that we are able to distinguish between real things and imaginary ones.

I suspect that this is a concept that separates 'conservative' from 'liberal' world views. I have no hesitation in identifying as a 'social libertarian'. To me, that means (or at least includes) being able to laugh at rape jokes while still being horrified at the actual act of rape. Extend that as far as you like. Being able to laugh at a joke that pokes fun at, say, black people, does not make someone a racist. Actually discriminating against black people does. Those are not equivalent things. I'm never really offended by people making jokes at the expense of Welsh people, but would be totally outraged if someone discriminated against someone because they were Welsh (just for the record, I'm not Welsh. No sheep-shagging for me! :D).

I mean, what kind of world would it be if we couldn't laugh? At anything?

Pretty grim, I reckon.
-- 
Ben