When do jokes about race turn into actual racism?

My line is when you make a racial joke, period. Perpetuating stereotypes isn’t funny to me at all.

That’s a great question. You see it frequently with minority comedians. They make a joke that, to them, makes fun of racism, but you can tell some people in the audience are laughing because to them, the stereotype is true, and that the joke perpetuates it. The Chapelle Show was a perfect illustration of that.

“Racism” is a loosely-applied term these days. The true definition of racism is the belief and system that supports certain races being inherently inferior/superior to others based on differences that exist due to race. Unless you believe that, you are not a racist. Telling a racist joke doesn’t make you a racist unless you actually believe it. Of course, it can make you rude, tasteless, and disrespectful, but not a true racist.

When you mean what you say.
Well, it’ll still be a joke, but it will be made from actual racism.

If you won’t say it in front of the group you are referring to then you probably shouldn’t be saying it, funny or not.

It becomes racism when you see it that way.

When you laugh at, not with.

My personal thought is that a joke about race is a joke, and racism speaks to a level of malice.

If a comedian calls me a cracka during a routine I have to take it with the spirit by which it was intended. If I am in a bar sitting among my friends and someone says “what are you looking at cracka” as a way to incite me, then it is potentially racist, and certainly intended to draw a negative reaction on my part.

All transactions between whites and non-whites probably have some crypto-racist elements, no matter how good the will. 600 years of history doesn’t vanish within 40 years. It’s just not possible. However, I see good news in the behavior of the young. I think we’ll see the end of racism in higher SES urban whites within a couple of more generations. In the meantime, jokes are on a knife’s edge, but I agree with the apparent consensus that intention is the most important factor.

Racial jokes are racism.

Sigh. I laugh when my friend tells me about his mythical friend, Sydney Wang-chungstein, the Chinese-Jew. I worked with a black guy who would always say “It’s ‘cause I’m black, isn’t it?” I’d laugh. I laugh at Margaret Cho when she talks about her mother and I laugh my ass off at Dave Chappelle. I don’t think that makes me a racist.
I think that some stereo types have an origin in truth, though they’re exaggerated. I think that pointing out our differences and inconsistencies and laughing at them for their ridiculousness is healthy. It’s better than pretending that we’re not different. We are, and it’s better, I think, to embrace our differences and celebrate them then to pretend they don’t exist. That includes the ability to laugh at others and ourselves without malice.

Is it okay if I make cracker jokes, since I am white?

@birdland33, he states my sentiments exactly. I think you can’t just consider the person stating the joke but the person hearing it’s interpetation.

If I have a chip on my shoulder
(I usually don’t)
about any negative statements
made about my culture and/or race, the pope can be the
speaker; I’m going to be offended. I think we all can sometimes be too sensitive and reactive.

This is a tough one. It comes down to political correctness and blahblahblah. I love when comedians make fun of political correctness and apply it to their humor (example, Zach Galifianakis saying “I african americaned out last night” in regards to drinking too much). I like Sarah Silverman and Lisa Lampenelli. They’re both considered “distasteful” and using racy humor. They take something, look at the stereotype and run with it. They know the humor within stereotypes and they use it well. Sarah Silverman makes fun of herself saying she can be such a jap. Lisa Lampenelli loves gay humor and her biggest followers are members of the gay community. They’re not racist or prejudice in any way, but they realise the humor within the stereotypes.
I realise I’m rambling with this, it’s just difficult for me to pinpoint the line of racism and a joke.

In my book jokes about race begin as racist. That might sound kind of harsh, but honestly why even go there? It just seems wrong to me. Is it ok for someone to make fun of their own race, gender, or any other thing that may set them apart from the rest? Personally I am not a huge fan of self deprecating humor, but I see that as more acceptable than if the humor comes from someone outside the group.

@SuperMouse I believe that, for one example, Sarah Silverman, mentioned above, shines a bright light on racism and gender inequity with her very sharp humor. There was never any racist intent to begin with in her case, in my opinion.

@pdworkin for some reason Sarah Silverman has always grated on me so I am not at all familiar with her humor. I do however feel that it is not up to me as a white woman to use humor as an attempt to shed light on racism. I shed light on it by treating everyone with the same amount of respect regardless of what color they are, their gender, sexuality, or anything else that makes them different and by speaking up when I see others who do not do the same.

She is a Jewish woman who tackles antisemitism and sexism.

“Jewish people driving German cars.”

@tinyfaery YES! She’s brilliant.

I agree with @Trillian and I think @DominicX answer was brilliant.

@ridicawu You might be interested that Ford was a Nazi sympathesizer big time. Very antisemitic. Back in the day Jews did not buy Ford generally speaking, they bought Chrysler. Ford published articles against the Jews, saw them as plotting to take over the world, and blamed them for the war in Germany. http://www.traces.org/henryford.html

When the person saying them is a racist or uses them knowingly among other racists.

I like Sarah Silverman as well, and I like her schtick, but don’t think she has an agenda she will hold to.
Most of the time comics are just trying to be funny, not make a point.

For example:
I am married, white, and blue collar. My wife is deaf, and I am a strong advocate for Gay Marriage and Disabled Rights.
My joke:

~ahem~

Pull my finger.

Comidians make “racist” jokes all the time. Im not racist and i still find them funny. The line is crossed when the person is actually serious

@DominicX and @tinyfaery FTW. I could not have said it better myself (or agree more).

Whats the differance between a canoes and Jewish people?
eventually canoes will tip

Hehehe. My blond haired daughter has a fund of blond jokes. Is that ok?
A blond was driving down a country road and off in the middle of a wheat field she saw another blond in a rowboat, rowing and getting nowhere.
Enraged, she pulled over, got out and started screaming at her “It’s idiots like you that give the rest of us a bad name! How did you even get that boat out there in the first place? If I knew how to swim, I’d come out there and KICK YOUR ASS!”

Oh, god.. that’s my favorite blonde joke. :P

It also depends on who is telling the joke, the joke itself, and the intent. For example:

A woman goes to a gynecologist for her yearly. He looks up and asks if she has a Gypsy boyfriend. “Why yes, how did you know?” she asks. “The green from his earrings rubbed off on your thighs” he replies.

That can just be a stupid “hyuk hyuk” joke, an in-joke amongst us making fun of people stereotyping us, or meant meanly.

“How many people can you fit in a VW Bug? 400. 2 Nazis in the front seat, 2 Nazis in the back seat, 396 Gypsies in the ashtray.” (Jews get this one too)

That one can be told unknowing of history and the teller just be guilty of being an unwitting ass. Usually it is told cruelly with the intent to harm. It is not ever used as an in-joke.

Those are two examples of racial jokes that are very different. Both are based on racial humor. One originated and is usually used cruelly. The other is just a stupid joke.

I don’t know is the honest answer and for that reason I feel very uncomfortable about jokes regarding race. Because of this I tend to steer well clear of telling race jokes myself. Do I laugh when others tell them? Sometimes. I do enjoy comedians who use stereotypes in their humour especially when it comes to their own race/upbringing (other people have mentioned Sarah Silverman, as far as British comedians are concerned I find Lenny Henry brilliant at that kind of humour. His impression of his parents is hilarious in my opinion).

I think their is a fine line when it comes to jokes about race. Yes, some people can be overly sensitive but by the same token their are people that use the “it was just a joke” line to justify their own racism. It’s a toughie.

When feelings get hurt.

@JLeslie , I didn’t know that! I’m not a big Ford fan, but those sort of things fascinate me.

@ridicawu I don’t mean to imply that the Ford family today is antisemitic, I have no idea, I doubt it. The grandson is very impressive to me, Ford seems to be the one American auto manufacturer that has a world view and is forward thinking.

The line is different to different people.

Good evening gentlemen, and get out, ladies.

This is told by a Muslim stand-up comic (yes, they exist.)

@Trillian That has been my favorite blond joke for almost 20 years! I am delighted to find it here.