Lets Stop Laughing & Start Thinking.

Hello, all! Halloween is so close! I don't know if you guys know this, but Halloween is my favorite holiday so, as you can imagine I am super excited. :) However, today's post isn't on such a  happy topic. During this post I really want you all to think about what makes you laugh. What sort of jokes tickle you pink, as the saying goes. Do you enjoy sarcasm? What about the classic three stooges act? Or are you more the type that enjoys a dark sense of humor? If you love to laugh (and who doesn't?) then, you've probably heard a few jokes that make you wonder, "Is that actually okay to say? Should I be laughing at that?" Usually, these joke fall under the categories of racist and sexist. Actually, many comedians, such as Russel Peters, make their living off of such jokes. I'll admit I think RP is pretty funny, but have there been times where I think he's more offensive than funny? Yeah, definitely.



The thing is if we can laugh at RP, why can't we laugh at the image above? I mean, okay, so, RP probably wouldn't do something like that ( at least I hope), but still a comparison can be made. The costumes are horribly insensitive and I don't know what these people were thinking, but they obviously don't have a lot of brain cells. When I first saw the image, honestly, I was pissed. All the pain that the Martin family went through, Trayvon's death was displayed as a joke. I didn't care so much that the kid portraying Trayvon was white (though the black face didn't help him out, I'm sure). If it was a black person doing it as well I would have been just as pissed. I just don;t understand how people would think this would be a good costume idea? They are literally mocking the dead. The Martin case was not a joke, but it hasn't even been a year since the case was laid to rest. Why would you do this? People never cease to amaze me, but you know what? There are probably some people out there who thought this was hilarious! They could figure, "People make black jokes all the time so why isn't this okay?"

Recently, on my facebook account account I saw an a picture posted of a black girl dressed as a slave. She had the southern dress, the cotton and her white friends acted as the slave masters. Isn't this making a mockery out of what African Americans had to suffer through for centuries? If they hadn't picked that cotton, would she even be where she is today? Isn't it thanks to our ancestors' struggle that we got to where we are? How can that be made into a joke?

Then, again, hasn't it been made into a joke multiple times before? Even by African Americans themselves (which doesn't make it okay, in my opinion)? I mean within the African American community I constantly hear jokes and/or negative comments about natural black hair. "Oh, that's slave hair. Why do they wanna look like slaves? All that nappy stuff." Or you hear comments like, "Man, you're feet ashier than a run away slave!" These are the shallow end jokes, but the further you go in the worst they get. However, people still laugh. If we laugh at these jokes why can't we laugh at the girl dressed as a slave? Is it because unlike an ordinary comment, the joke is being blatantly pushed in our face? We can't close our eyes and pretend we didn't see it.

Let's look at other jokes:
Religion:
I heard this in a movie. "Jesus stepped into a hotel with three nails and asked the clerk, 'Can you hang me up for the night?'" Funny or offensive?

Gender:
"Why do women make better soldiers? Because they can bleed for a week and not die?" from Laugh Factory.com

Asians/Latinos and Hespanics:
"Q: What happens when a Mexican and an China man make a baby?
 A: A car thief who can't actually drive is born." from Jokes 4 Us.com. Should I laugh or shake my head?

White:

"Q: How many white girls does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: One: White girls will screw anything.

mean enough?" from Reddit.com. What is this actually saying?

Native Americans:

"What is a sasquatch?
-Proof that natives had sex with bears." from Ebaumsworld.com. I don't think I have to say much for this one.

I think its time that we started thinking before we laugh. Before you let your sides split in half, ask yourself if that joke was so much funny as it was offensive? I plan to do the same, though like you all I'm not perfect. All we can do is try to improve. Until next time! Ta-ta. :)

What do you guys think? I really want to hear from you! Do you think modern day comedians have crossed the line? Are jokes even tasteful any more or is simply a contest as to who can be the most offensive? Are people too sensitive? Are we all too worried about being politically correct? Let me know!