Beware there are racist terms thrown around

Recently I've been roaming with a group of friends who are prodomiantly guys and noticed how desensitized to racism i've become. XD Jokes are constantly being thrown around. In the house we hang around we have our titles. I of course am the Asian. We have a black man, an indian (who only has about a drop of indian blood in him), a "gypsy", a Canadian, a mexican, spanerd, so on and so forth there are more and more people around here. If you don't have a title we'll find one even if we have to resort back to "you're a woman" (If you're a girl)

We search and love throwing racist terms at one another: nigger, spik, chink, tamohawk chucker, everything we can find and think of really. And we thrown them at ourselves almost as an excuse, it's rather funny.

Now that I think about it though this generation, this so called "X" and "Y" generation as i've heard us called before, have made racism into comedy. The idea that simple words creating so much turmoil is rather riduclious this day in age because we are not the ones that were involved in the history. I can understand you should never say these words to an elder, but for a younger generation we have recreated them into a joke. Is this wrong? I'm not sure really.

Now the question I pose to you is:
Is it wrong to make racism into such a joke and throw it around in such a way that it becomes into an adearing term?
Do you think that this desensitizing should continue like this or should the media and parentals aware of it all?
In general, should something be done about this or is it all kosh?

It varies from group to group and people to people. My group of friends are the same way. Most of us aren't racist and see nothing wrong with being X race, but we all joke about our races and to many it comes of as rude, mean and horrible, if your not in our group.

Words only have as much power as people and society gives them. It will take awhile for the hate behind some words to go away while others we have forgotten how they came about.

I honestly don't care if it's a joke between your group of friends, but when it does turn hateful, it is something to worry about.

I think a lot of young people joke about race without even knowing it.
I know I've made racist comments in good fun- about my own race and others' too. I do however, reserve my joking for close friends only who I know will not misunderstand me and take it as an insult. I think even if you're desensitized to racial comments in your own group, you reacte differently if someone outside of it uses those same terms on you- because you can't tell whether or not they are joking or trying to insult you. So it's important to be careful who you joke with.

To answer your question, I don't mind the desensitizing of racist words. They only have awful meanings if we allow them to. I have a gay friend who doesn't mind being called a fag, and thinks it's funny that people will throw that term around as if it were offensive.

One another note, today I saw a news station (may have been an "entertainment news" program, I don't remember), anyway, they had a black reporter or somebody acting like a "dancing Obama" outside the White House. This guy did not look like Obama AT ALL.

Does anyone else find it racist that they would say "Hey, you're a black buy, we'll put you in a suit and call you Obama!"?

<3

I believe nothing should be off limits in comedy. We either laugh at everything, or nothing.

Jokes about races is hilarious. Especially when it's your own race.
(I'm a mut with too many races so I use my religion as my race >>)
XD I'm LDS, and when people are talking about Utah, I always always say something like, "omg I hate Utah, too many mormons".
Because it's true!

Or my grandma is catholic, so my mom is like catholic-mormon. I can't explain it, it's like... acts catholic, but is mormon. If you're catholic you know what I mean. xD

I don't think little kids should be introduced to racist comedy, though. It can warp their opinions. Not everyone is willing to laugh.

I looooove to laugh. Anything that makes you laugh is good to me. If it desensitizes, it desensitizes. People are too sensitive nowadays anyways.

Personally I think its absolutely horrible that racism has been turned into some comedic form of daily vocabulary but if its between your friends and yourself, by all means go ahead, but be sure to do it in doors because there are people out there (such as myself) who would get offended hearing all that dirty trash leaking from your mouthes.

If I have something to say, for example, a friend of mine is mexican and I throw "beaner" and "wetback" at her all the time as she does for me calling me a chink or whatever it is she calls me, we always make sure other people don't listen to us, because where I grew up, people get jumped literally and beaten in the street just for stupid remarks such as those.
Sometimes racism isn't nice to joke with but I guess its common now a days.

It really depends on how you look at racism. As long as there is a difference between people from different parts of the Earth, there will be racism. There's nothing you can do about it. There are too many stupid people in the world. However, there isn't anything wrong with making jokes about it. The world has become desensitized to racism, but I don't really see that as a bad thing. It's just a change in attitude. Instead of becoming offended about it, people start to realize the comedy of our differences, and looking at the world with a little more common sense. There's no reason to be offended that people are different from each other.

I think that if everyone would become accustomed to what would be considered racist insults, there wouldn't be as many hate crimes, thus creating social and racial equality.

Racism will never disappear, its hard for it too. Our past knowledge and source of education and influence force it back at us all the time. I honestly think we should get rid of it but at the rate anyone is going, its not going to happen. Which is why II make racist jokes all the time as a friendly joke, not to hurt. I make sure that the person won't mind. Secondly, because I only say them in front of friends, they know I don't mean what I say all the time, especially when I joke. But overall, racism is a given everywhere, its unavoidable and unstoppable, the only thing we can really do is make a joke about it and laugh while it remains a joke :D

What do you mean, a "Gypsy?" Pssst, racist.
I'm a gypsy. yo.

Yes, I think considering racism normal so as to talk about it as "endearing" is disturbing...
Its ok to make jokes and laugh about how messed up our society is, but as long as you don't lose sight and start insulting people...

Most racism doesn't bother me so much... But when someone goes around calling themselves a Nazi or me a nazi I just FLIP OUT and want to eat them alive! I think it stems from the fact that fascism is taking over the world (again) and after world war 2 when practically all my people (the gypsies) were wiped off the face of this planet... And yet when I'm in school all I hear about is the jews... No offense to the jewish people cuz they got hit hard too, but COME ON! The gypsies were massacred but no one gives a flying fuck. TT______________________________________TT

Ok I'm done ranting...

There is a clear difference between making fun of a stereotype with your friends, and pointing out how stupid and ridiculous it sounds, and being a racist and using racist humor, however "endearing."

For example, if you are making fun of the fact that people think black people like watermelon, and roll your eyes and say, "oh yeah, I'll just have watermelon and grape soda, har har."

It is a lot different than looking at your friend and saying, "You're a nigger and you look like a porch monkey, HAHA!"

I, like many Asian kids, just go with the flow a lot of the time. I've let people make "chinky eyes" jokes and "how do Asians name their kids? Throw silverware down the stairs HAHAHA." At the time I was just trying to be "cool" about it and not act like it was a big deal, but now I see how ignorant and racist they were being. If your friend is okay with being made fun of, it's probably because they want to fit in and don't want to make a big deal out of it.

So there is a difference between making fun of a stereotype WITH your friends, and making fun of your FRIEND because of their race.

I've never heard the "How do Asian name their kids" one XP That's a new one for me. There are only a few racist things that annoy the christ out of me and I always make it clear if they do annoy me.

Some of those things are just by habit. It's pretty much agreed upon that two groups get the short end of the stick. some stuff is so true and ridiculous, that it's funny. as ong as people aren't letting the comedy influence the interpersonal relationships, it should be ok. some jokes cross the line though. the line is basically the point where races are just completely demeaned so that it makes them seem ignorant and undeserving of respect. a lot of it is based on intentions; sometimes it isn't always clear though. at this point, i think it is ok, as long as everyone gets poked fun at.

Is it wrong to make racism into such a joke and throw it around in such a way that it becomes into an adearing term?

I dont think it is right that you do this even if it is in good humor. Often times jokes and things really hurt people and I dont think you want that. There are people that all it takes is an insult like racsim to throw them over the edge and you could cause them to kill themselves.

Do you think that this desensitizing should continue like this or should the media and parentals aware of it all?

I dont think it should be continued. I dont know where you live, but it is a VERY serious offense if you make a racist remark where i live. YOu can get in big trouble.

In general, should something be done about this or is it all kosh?
Something should be done. It is disrespectful and mean. Not everyone feels like it is a joke.

These days people are way to sensitive and take everything offensively, most of these people are pathetic attention seekers who try to sue or arrest people for doing minor things or nothing at all, in my option Racisim doesn't excist anymore because EVERYONE is abit racist, you can deny that as much as you want but its true, and not believeing that makes you the biggest idiot of them all. its just something you have to live with.

Ethnic jokes are uncouth, but they're funny because they're based on truth.

I throw around anti-Filipino jokes every once in a while. I find them funny,a ctually. I find it weird when people get all anal over racism when they're offended merely because THEY are the ones who give negative meanings to the words.

The capacity of humans to be offended is both scary and impressive. I both fear and admire them.

Oh wow. Massive lols were had at the silverware joke.

I'm glad people are being more open about using racial stereotypes in jokes. Some of us are so open and tolerant of other races these days we don't even think enough to apply the negative meanings into so called, "bad words."

In my opinion, the desensitization of racist words will be a good thing.

I also agree with the opinions that we should be careful about who we're making the racist jokes to. An example is when someone I hardly knew made a racist Asian joke once to his friends, and it had offended me because I wasn't sure about the person's intentions since I didn't know him well. Was he simply poking fun? Or was he mocking my heritage and language? Mixed thoughts like that came to mind.

I think that joking about racism is OK, as long as you understand that racism is NOT over. I think the big problem is that with all this "joking" about racism, some racist things are passed off as jokes... and people start to be desensitized to actual institutional discrimination.

Actually, I think it's a good thing. By making light of these things, it helps us to let go of the hurt in the past. Some people may see it as insulting, or disrespectful to history, but why would you want to give respect to something so horrible? The way I see, everyone who died in same way relating to racism, I thank them for their service to the generation of today. We're not laughing at them, we're taking what we learned from their tragic deaths and coming closer together.

There are always people who push it though. When it's said with malice or hate, it's wrong. When it's a direct insult to certain people, with the intention to hurt, it's wrong.

I mean if its 'between friends' or people that know they you're playing, and if you can say stuff about your own race, and it doesnt get to far...then there really isn;t a problem. I think.

Once Someone thinks its gotten to far (gets offended), and doesn't know if you're joking or not...then that's when it becomes unappropiate. i mean i do it all the time, it just becomes a habit...sometimes i'll be like "its cause he's hispanic" and i'll get glares cause i'm hispanic as well.

I guess people have to learn that there are limits. to everything.

Originally Posted by ~Midnight Dreams~

sometimes i'll be like "its cause he's hispanic" and i'll get glares cause i'm hispanic as well.

... but it's true! Like, the only clean church in my city is the one the gringo missionary mormons built. The only date they let all the other sinners come in [to create a list of the population I think], everyone was astounded by the cleanliness - no stains on the white walls, no dust spots on the white carpet.

And then some people started talking about how it's just that "gringos" are like that. Lol~

Is it wrong to make racism into such a joke and throw it around in such a way that it becomes into an adearing term?

As long as you leave me out of it, I won't have to decorate your face with your innards.

Do you think that this desensitizing should continue like this or should the media and parents aware of it all?

Desensitizing--is a fad that hinders just like apathy.

In general, should something be done about this or is it all kosh?

Nothing can be done about it.

Originally Posted by AcidDrop

in my option Racisim doesn't excist anymore because EVERYONE is abit racist, you can deny that as much as you want but its true, and not believeing that makes you the biggest idiot of them all.

Racism went underground; it still exists and not always in the form of name-calling or half-baked jokes.

Originally Posted by AcidDrop

its just something you have to live with.

With that logic.... no. I won't go there. That would have been a frightening alternate future.

Originally Posted by Alexandrus Gambino

I find it weird when people get all anal over racism when they're offended merely because THEY are the ones who give negative meanings to the words.

Sorry cowboy. That only works when the people you mock are all 100% the same in which they have no individual thought or feelings and thus do the same thing per applied stereotype.

All in all, you're assuming why someone's angry about these diseased jokes. Why not stop assuming and ask people how they feel? Oh wait... that requires having a heart. Sorry for asking.

With the group of people I hang out with, there was this one (black guy) who would occasionally make black jokes about himself. Like, if someone asked him why he was running then he would say "Because I stole something" with a grin. And there were a couple of his friends who knew him really well and could get away with the occasional joke.

But otherwise, it's pretty much not okay to make racist or sterotypical jokes at my school.