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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: About the Laugh Judgment
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luvanddaisies
the'fun'in'fundie'™
# 5761
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Posted
does anyone else find it irritating/very mildly offensive that the jokes about admission to Heaven all have Peter - a bloke - in charge of who gets in and who doesn't, rather than Jesus?
How about the whole pattern that many of those jokes follow of getting into Heaven by points scored in life?
Do people think they get more irritated than offended by jokes like the example sample we've got for our delectation?
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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." (Mark Twain)
Posts: 3711 | From: all at sea. | Registered: Apr 2004
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Trudy Scrumptious
BBE Shieldmaiden
# 5647
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Posted
It's interesting that the joke I've found most offensive in this whole discussion -- by quite a large margin -- is the one about the risen Jesus masturbating through the holes in His hands (I don't know if that joke is actually even posted, but it's been referenced a few times in discussion either on this thread or elsewhere). Same reaction from me as the Jesus/penis/lightswitch product ... I think it must be the juxtaposition of the Crucifixion with sex that somehow pushes my hot button. I wonder why? Does this reveal that at some level I actually do think of sex as dirty and shameful? Hmmm....
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Books and things.
I lied. There are no things. Just books.
Posts: 7428 | From: Closer to Paris than I am to Vancouver | Registered: Mar 2004
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
S.Peter letting people into Heaven is not at all offensive if you read Matthew 16:13-20.
As to the joke Trudy, Trudy mentions, I think it says more about the attitude of the person making up the joke than that of those who are offended by it.
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Gill H
Shipmate
# 68
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Posted
Just wondering: I recognise many of these jokes from a book I grew up with called 'The Ecclesiastical Joke Book'. It was compiled and illustrated by the chap who drew Captain Pugwash (John Ryan? Not sure).
I read it often as a child (when I wasn't memorising Two Ronnies jokes). Will anyone admit to plundering it for this competition?
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*sigh* We can’t all be Alan Cresswell.
- Lyda Rose
Posts: 9313 | From: London | Registered: May 2001
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Ancient Mariner*
SOF Co-editor
# 105
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TrudyTrudy (I say unto you):
It's interesting that the joke I've found most offensive in this whole discussion -- by quite a large margin -- is the one about the risen Jesus masturbating through the holes in His hands
Trudy, you may have missed this from the Laugh Judgment thread in The Styx. It's a (translated) article that appeared in a Danish daily paper this week...
Can you joke about Christ on the Cross?
The Christian web-magazine "Ship of Fools" has started a reader survey to find the tolerance limit for christian jokes. A limit that Danish comic Uffe Holm knows how to cross.
Do you know the one about the nun and the priest? How does Jesus masturbate? Great Britain's biggest Christian web-magazine "Ship of Fools", with over 100,000 unique visitors each month has just launched an investigation to find the funniest and the most offensive Christian jokes.
"We will try to find out how far you can really go, before it becomes offensive", says editor Stephen Goddard. Up to now the editors have received 300-400 jokes, and the idea is to choose the 10 most controversial to be tried out by a stand up comedian in front of a group of church-goers. "Then we'll see if he dies on stage'" says Stephen Goddard.
The classic jokes about nuns, priests, and people going up to Saint Peter to be let into heaven are generally considered to be harmless by the readers, whilst the boundary begins to get closer when it deals with the suffering, says Stephen Goddard. He remembers the uproar over Monty Python's scene with Jesus on the Cross in "The Life of Brian" from 1979.
"Many Christians are offended, if you joke about the crucifixion, because as a Christian you identify with Jesus. But at the same time you can laugh at a joke about two people being hanged, because it doesn't necessarily point to a particular historical event", he says.
Here in Denmark, comedian Uffe Holm was reported to the police for blasphemy, after he on DR's [Danmarks Radio, equiv of BBC1] youth programme "Boogie", in connection with the "Humour about Aids" campaign told a joke about Jesus, who masturbated through the holes in his hands and offered to do the same to God with his feet.
The joke lead to Morten Meisner, the parish priest of Skarrild in mid-Jutland, to collect 15,000 danish krnoer in under the campaign "Emergency aid for Uffe" so that the comedian could be taken on an educational tour of Israel.
However, Uffe Holm recently dismissed this (the money will instead go to AIDS victims), but he has taken the joke out of his material. "I trod in the spinach [colloquial: means 'put my foot in it']. Jesus hung on the cross for our sake, and it arouses very strong feelings amongst those who are very Christian. But I do think that people over-reacted.
When you live by telling jokes, it is also important to make people laugh at something that they don't normally laugh about, and you happen to break your neck once in a while. But it does need to be tried", says Uffe Holm.
From the 'Urban' newspaper, Tuesday 12th July 2005.
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'Now if you'll excuse me, I have to appear on a tortilla in Mexico...'
Jesus to Homer Simpson
Posts: 1087 | From: St Helens (near Liverpool) UK | Registered: May 2001
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
I have a terrible feeling Pyx_e's already tried this. At a shipmeet. The whole pub went very, very quiet, and then fortunately Viola laughed. Which relaxed the tension. Before we all pelted him with rotten tomatoes and Pyx_e got thrown out.
(OK a small part of the above is made up, but most of it is true.....)
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Viola
Administrator
# 20
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Posted
Just because I 'get' rude jokes more quickly than the rest of you good church people... ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
Actually - as an admin - I felt it was my duty to put the shy and retiring Pyx_e at ease.
One of those, anyway.
K.
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"If ye love me, keep my commandments" John 14:15
"Commandment number one: shut the hell up." Erin Etheredge 1971-2010
Posts: 4345 | From: West of England | Registered: May 2001
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strathclydezero
# 180
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Posted
All this has reminded me of my favourite standup. Most people I know, religious or not find this chap deeply offensive. I find him hilarious. Where's the line? As some of the comments on the page say - his basis of comedy is to be offensive to the audience, just like your stereotypical American preacher. I find it hilarious, but you have to be able to see past the abuse he's hurtling at every single group represented in the room - minority or not.
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All religions will pass, but this will remain:
simply sitting in a chair and looking in the distance.
V V Rozanov
Posts: 3276 | From: The Near East | Registered: May 2001
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Newman's Own
Shipmate
# 420
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by luvanddaisies:
does anyone else find it irritating/very mildly offensive that the jokes about admission to Heaven all have Peter - a bloke - in charge of who gets in and who doesn't, rather than Jesus?
I don't think that anyone I have known (including the most devout Catholics) actually expects to meet Peter at death - unless one had a very literal mind and mistook the power of the 'keys.' ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif) I think that concept of Peter is mainly reserved for jokes, in which it is a staple.
Because jokes about people meeting Peter at the Pearly Gates tend to be very silly and about misunderstanding, I somehow find it more appropriate that it not be Jesus. In the gospels, it is all too clear that Peter, however well intentioned, often 'does not get it,' whether with the tabernacles for Moses and Elijah at the Transfiguration - whether Jesus should wash his feet - whether Jesus should go to Jerusalem - or the appropriate action with Malchus' ear. Since, in the jokes, Peter often is volatile or confused, I think it often works.
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To date, the only two jokes which I found highly offensive were the ones about Jesus' masturbating in the wounds of his hands, and the one about the little girl on the bridge. (The latter was a horror story.)
I know that a number of Ship mates have had lengthy church careers (as I have.) If so, they, as I, would have far funnier true stories (and some in the gruesome genre) than could be captured in jokes - though they would normally not be in the least offensive. I suppose that the reason I find many of the jokes here to not be especially funny is that most are very old and others do not capture the 'true to life' quality I enjoy.
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Cheers,
Elizabeth
“History as Revelation is seldom very revealing, and histories of holiness are full of holes.” - Dermot Quinn
Posts: 6740 | From: Library or pub | Registered: Jun 2001
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
There's more than one kind of offensive humour. There's the kind that makes you feel sick when you read it, there's the kind that makes you feel angry. Sometimes it could be both. We seem to be going for the gross-out value at the moment. How about some jokes that aren't so much repulsive as ones that might be expected to annoy someone, e.g. derision or denigration of a particular practice or denomination or some such? There must be some amongst the myriads you've been sent.
I'd like to ask Simon or someone: do you think it might be worth putting some kind of a warning up on the intro to the board to say that some of the material here is unsuitable for under-18s, or those of a squeamish disposition, or something?
And are they about to get progressively worse? I think you'd have to be pretty insensitive to find the Onan joke funny.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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KenWritez
Shipmate
# 3238
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Posted
My suggestion is to keep things as they are. I think warnings or suppressing priest/pedophile jokes is an understandable but ill-advised "mommying" of our readers. If someone doesn't like that topic, then why are they reading these threads? Tailoring the Laugh Judgement to fit someone's idea of decorum is trying to please everyone--where will you stop? Shipmates A, B and C want no more priest/pedophile jokes. Shipmates D - H want no more male-dominated Heaven's gatekeeper jokes. Shipmates I - Q demand no more Jesus jokes.
Again: Where do you stop? If you're looking for the germ of offense, then you'd best offend people, and the posts from those who want certain levels of decorum set are perfect examples of offense taken.
Try to please everyone and the board will suffer as a result.
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"The truth is you're the weak. And I'm the tyranny of evil men. But I'm tryin', Ringo. I'm tryin' real hard to be a shepherd." --Quentin Tarantino, Pulp Fiction
My blog: http://oxygenofgrace.blogspot.com
Posts: 11102 | From: Left coast of Wonderland, by the rabbit hole | Registered: Aug 2002
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
On the other hand, if you're doing research, how many more paedophile priest jokes do you need to run to find out what people really think about them? If you don't know by now, you're not paying attention.
The range of types of jokes could stand some serious broadening, IMHO.
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Trudy Scrumptious
BBE Shieldmaiden
# 5647
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Posted
Well, submit some broader jokes, Mousethief. Maybe we're not getting a broader range because this is representative of what's out there.
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Books and things.
I lied. There are no things. Just books.
Posts: 7428 | From: Closer to Paris than I am to Vancouver | Registered: Mar 2004
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
My suggestion is to keep things as they are. I think warnings or suppressing priest/pedophile jokes is an understandable but ill-advised "mommying" of our readers. If someone doesn't like that topic, then why are they reading these threads?
Yes and no. I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be posted, just that it isn't always clear from the title of a thread that you may be about to click on something you then find could be more than you expected. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a general warning in the intro that you access these threads at your own risk.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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John Donne
Renaissance Man
# 220
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Posted
I think there is ambiguity in the readers' roles here. Am I being told jokes as a 'taste tester' as it were, or am I being asked to analyse jokes?
If the latter, then the nature of the task is academic which means I will dispassionately consider material in an analytical way which I wouldn't ordinarily countenance in any other context.
If the former, I am being asked to appreciate the joke as a 'consumer' and add my response to an aggregate barometer. In real life I stop people who try to tell me ethnic or paedo jokes and give them immediate feedback, in virtual life, ie. this forum, I can't tell before reading whether a joke transgresses my no-go zone - and I do not want to 'consume' those sort of jokes. Therefore I am obliged not to read the material.
That's ok. This isn't a 'taking my marbles' post. The only reason I'm adding it rather than go off quietly and not read, is that I think complete data is important for a project and I doubt I am the only person to respond like this.
Posts: 13667 | From: Perth, W.A. | Registered: May 2001
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TrudyTrudy (I say unto you):
[QB] Well, submit some broader jokes, Mousethief.
I did, about a week ago. Either they have quite a backlog, or mine were substandard. Or both, of course
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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John Donne
Renaissance Man
# 220
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Posted
Further to the Girl on a Cliff paedophilia joke:
I agree with poster themanwiththegingerhair that it is not my faith that is offended but my humanity with respect to paedophilia jokes, (He makes a typo but it's clear what he means) and that it could just have easily have been about a tramp or policeman or scoutmaster, as Mousethief also observes.
Given the context of the religious villification bill, how likely is it that this joke could be a test of the religious villification law? Neither Christianity nor a Christian denomination are mentioned, though implied, but even if they were, could implying that the functionaries of a religion are paedophiles be brought as a complaint under this legislation?
Disgusting as this joke is, afaics, this is the worst you could come up with with respect to villification on the basis of faith.
Posts: 13667 | From: Perth, W.A. | Registered: May 2001
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Duo Seraphim*
Sea lawyer
# 3251
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
quote:
Originally posted by KenWritez:
My suggestion is to keep things as they are. I think warnings or suppressing priest/pedophile jokes is an understandable but ill-advised "mommying" of our readers. If someone doesn't like that topic, then why are they reading these threads?
Yes and no. I'm not arguing that they shouldn't be posted, just that it isn't always clear from the title of a thread that you may be about to click on something you then find could be more than you expected. I don't think there's anything wrong with having a general warning in the intro that you access these threads at your own risk.
I don't have any problem with a general reference to the purpose of the project - but a "health warning"? No - because I can't predict what people might find offensive or blasphemous or even humourous.
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2^8, eight bits to a byte
Posts: 3967 | From: Sydney Australia | Registered: Aug 2002
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Glimmer
Ship's Lantern
# 4540
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Posted
Just listened to Simon being interviewed on Radio Solent with regard to the proposed religious hate laws. Pretty good perspective on it and two good strong jokes as well (although intrviewer Nick Girdler wasn't too keen to upset some listeners by laughing at them). Excellent promotion for SOF and its values of Christian Unrest.
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The original, unchanged 4540.
The Temple area, Ankh Morpork
Posts: 1749 | From: Ankh Morpork, Dorset | Registered: May 2003
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ORGANMEISTER
Shipmate
# 6621
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Posted
1. I'm very disappointed. I submitted two jokes for discussion and neither one made the boards!
2. The Life of Brian was considered blasphemous in many right-wing circles here is the US. It was only exceeded by The Last Temptation of Christ. I though L of B was very funny and witty, but, as usual, I'm agreeing with Rossweisse that Quest for the Holy Grail was the Pythons finest effort. Just brilliant!
3. I think Richard Pryor explained who may tell what jokes. Only members of the same ethno-racial-religious group may thell jokes of which that group is the puch line. Anyone else may be accused of bigotry/rascism etc.
Posts: 3162 | From: Somerset, PA - USA | Registered: May 2004
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Simon
Editor
# 1
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Posted
Be patient, Organmeister. There's a queue of jokes still to be posted.
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Eternal memory
Posts: 3787 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2001
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Matrix
Shipmate
# 3452
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Simon:
Be patient, Organmeister. There's a queue of jokes still to be posted.
would you be kind enough to omit the "all priests are paedos" ones?
That might move things on a touch.
Regards
M
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Maybe that's all a family really is; a group of people who miss the same imaginary place. - Garden State
Posts: 3847 | From: The courts of the King | Registered: Oct 2002
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Old Hundredth
Shipmate
# 112
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Posted
Just out of curiosity, Simon, are you in a position to give us an idea of the length of the queue? I posted two last week and was wondering whether they had been rejected as being unsuitable or whether in fact I was at the end of a long queue - your post suggests it may be the latter which is rather reassuring (well, I didn't think they were very offensive so I couldn't work out why they might have been rejected).
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If I'm not in the Chapel, I'll be in the bar (Reno Sweeney, 'Anything Goes')
Posts: 976 | From: The land of the barm cake | Registered: May 2001
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Ann
Curious
# 94
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Posted
Whilst I was fossicking about in the bowels of the Ship, I came across an old religious jokes thread (not what I was looking for, but there you go). There are a lot of good jokes there.
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Ann
Posts: 3271 | From: IO 91 PI | Registered: May 2001
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ORGANMEISTER
Shipmate
# 6621
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Posted
Thanks, Simon, but one of mine has already been posted.
Posts: 3162 | From: Somerset, PA - USA | Registered: May 2004
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wing
Apprentice
# 9833
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Posted
Hello, this is Wing, i'm glad to be "on board" however, i wonder if my joke will be posted...in fact, upon going to the magazine, i am having a bit of trouble finding listed jokes...is there a particular place for them or do i just look through the bulletin board? help is appreciated.
here, below, are some ideas i have about laughing at God:
(an exerpt from ship of fools:Ridiculing religious beliefs, criticising religious practices and offending religious people is surely a mission from God. Not in all cases, necessarily, but certainly in some. It's not a freedom so much as a responsibility.)
i have looked at some of the jokes in the bulletins and wonder, what is it that we are attempting to mock. it seems some of the jokes are not about God, the sacred and so on but about human beings, and cruel at that, for example making a joke about a priest raping a child, or about a nun's supposed withered state is less about religion and more about showing insecurity about one's self (if you really believe that raping a child is funny, which i don't think very many people really do). i am thinking that in looking for ways to offend religion, i will have to find a way to mock religious beliefs and ideas, or rather, to find the humour in the fear of not believing.
An example of something i find funny is the story of Job...and what is funny about it is the compassion ultimately found within it. now, if i find Job funny, and some others find my sense of humour offensive...perhaps there's a joke in it after all.
anyway, the jokes about pedophilia and fear of women who are celibate (nuns) (for example) are not making fun of God or religious belief so my opinion is they don't qualify as "jokes that offend religion".
well i will follow the rules and not post my joke here, but will wait for it to appear through the filter of "approval" (now there's a contradiction for ya, i am hoping my joke will be offensive enough to be approved of?)
if anywon has any suggestions as to how i can navigate this board more easily please advise
thanks
yrs
wing
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god is an imaginary being
Posts: 3 | From: Canada (West Coast) | Registered: Jul 2005
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SteveTom
Contributing Editor
# 23
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Old Hundredth:
Just out of curiosity, Simon, are you in a position to give us an idea of the length of the queue? I posted two last week and was wondering whether they had been rejected as being unsuitable or whether in fact I was at the end of a long queue.
We've had about 800 so far. We're certainly not trying to publish the lot of them, just a representative sample, and ones which catch our attention as funny, offensive or particularly worth discussing in some way. Don't take it personally...
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I saw a naked picture of me on the internet
Wearing Jesus's new snowshoes.
Well, golly gee.
- Eels
Posts: 1363 | From: London | Registered: May 2001
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Hooker's Trick
Admin Emeritus and Guardian of the Gin
# 89
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Posted
Does it say something really disagreeable and twisted about me that although I find some of the jokes unfunny, not one of them have I found offensive?
Posts: 6735 | From: Gin Lane | Registered: May 2001
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
Is that because you know they are really only jokes, HT? (Rather like you can watch a film and know it's really only a film, even if it is based on a true story?) To test what I mean, how about if you read in your local paper, or got told by a real person that a real priest had assaulted a small girl on a cliff after her parents had died. Surely that you would find offensive, because instead of being a joke (only words) it was horribly real.
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Simon
Editor
# 1
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Posted
No, it says something interesting, HT. Would you like to submit a joke you *have* found offensive?
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Eternal memory
Posts: 3787 | From: London | Registered: Mar 2001
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Phred22
Apprentice
# 3857
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Posted
I've submitted several jokes in the last few days. Not only have none of them appeared but I haven't seen new ones from anybody for almost a week. Is there a problem? ![[Mad]](angryfire.gif)
Posts: 9 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
Phred, I see you are an apprentice: take a while to look around. Firstly, this is a voluntary-run board, in the hosts and admins' spare time, so there will be times when they feel like taking a holiday.
Secondly, as has been explained elsewhere, the ship has been inundated with jokes since it has got coverage in the press - only a selection is chosen, to reflect the huge number which have been submitted.
If you want all your jokes to be read, why not set up a site yourself with a link to it in your sig.?
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
Hosting
Phred22; As Chorister pointed out this site is run by volunteers. This project has received over 1000 jokes. Given that neither you or I are fully aware of all the circumstances may I ask you tone down the nature of your posts (no angry/fiery smilies) and as Chorister again suggested have a good look round the whole board. Thank you.
Pyx_e
Hosting
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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Phred22
Apprentice
# 3857
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Posted
My apologies for sounding hostile. I'll admit I didn't realize the volume of competing entries. What really bothered me was that there seemed to be a not-yet-reached time limit for entering jokes at the same time that the posting of new jokes seemed to be drying up. I truly hope the judges will post some latecomers, even if my under 1% of all offerings are not among them.
Let me add I'm not a newcomer to the SOF sites, just to posting messages. I find SOF offers some much-needed sanity and comic relief to the religious scene today.
Posts: 9 | Registered: Dec 2002
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Ariel
Shipmate
# 58
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hooker's Trick:
Does it say something really disagreeable and twisted about me that although I find some of the jokes unfunny, not one of them have I found offensive?
Dunno. What does occur to me is that a lot of these jokes are what I'd think of as "male" humour - about male sexuality, male body parts, male bodily functions. In short, "willy" jokes. It's not my starting perspective, or one I even particularly relate to. Possibly as a man you feel more comfortable with some of these than I do.
I find myself wondering if there's a basic difference in what men and women find funny; that's not to say there isn't shared ground, but perhaps men are more likely to find the more "robust" kind of joke more amusing than a woman would.
I'm thinking of some women I know who've said they don't care much for most comedians and people who set out to deliberately make others laugh; that jokes always seem a bit formulaic; and that they get more amusement out of the spontaneous sort of humour that arises in conversation with friends than out of "set pieces".
I don't know whether there is a gender divide in humour but it might be worth thinking about. I'm also wondering about the cultural differences, American v British humour and so on. Whether that too would influence someone's response to a joke.
Anyway, I'm just speculating, but would be interested to know what others think.
Posts: 25445 | Registered: May 2001
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
Thanks Phred and welcome. I am sure that Simon will give due attention to your jokes. Good to have you on board.
Pyx_e
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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saysay
Ship's Praying Mantis
# 6645
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Posted
Hmm. I haven’t ever really thought about whether or not differences in humor might be due to gender. I do find that I’m just not interested in most humor that relies on physical traits. If the punch line has anything to do with the fact that we have bodies, and our bodies do certain things (fart, get sexually aroused, whatever) then I usually don’t find it all that funny. I mean, duh, don’t we all know that by now? Where’s the element of surprise?
On the other hand, I don’t find those jokes offensive either. IRL, my distinct lack of coordination provides a certain amount of humor for those around me (I once slipped on patch of ice, feet flying out from under me, and was pulled to my feet by one of my friends who stopped laughing long enough to say “I’m sorry, but I didn’t think that actually happened outside of cartoons.”)
But I’m another one who is basically incapable of getting offended by a text version of a joke posted on a message board - without a person saying it, and without any sense of whether they mean it as a put-down or as a take-down, I really can’t understand why I should be bothered by it. In order to work up any sense of outrage, I have to imagine someone saying it to someone else in an inappropriate context.
But it’s also true that I usually don’t find clowns or anyone else who is self-consciously trying to be funny particularly funny. I’ve been known to go to comedy clubs, but I generally prefer improv groups - where a lot of the humor is spontaneous and based on the interaction between the members of the group - to individual comedians.
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"It's been a long day without you, my friend
I'll tell you all about it when I see you again"
"'Oh sweet baby purple Jesus' - that's a direct quote from a 9 year old - shoutout to purple Jesus."
Posts: 2943 | From: The Wire | Registered: May 2004
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The Silent Acolyte
Shipmate
# 1158
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Posted
I'm no statistician, but it's probably useful to look at the scores over time.
It seems to me that both the Offensiveness scores and the Funniness scores have been trending down. Is this Joke fatigue or are the jokes not as funny as before? Is your scoring population getting jaded, or are the jokes not as offensive as before? Is your scoring population remaining reasonably consistent, or are a significant number of early-days scorers retiring, to be replaced with new scorers.
Posts: 7462 | From: The New World | Registered: Aug 2001
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Chorister
Completely Frocked
# 473
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Ariel:
I'm thinking of some women I know who've said they don't care much for most comedians and people who set out to deliberately make others laugh; that jokes always seem a bit formulaic; and that they get more amusement out of the spontaneous sort of humour that arises in conversation with friends than out of "set pieces".
Anyway, I'm just speculating, but would be interested to know what others think.
The difference between the two groups of people Ariel mentions, and the jokes in the 'Laugh Judgement' though, is that they are spoken rather than written. It occurred to me during the 'Newsnight' broadcast that in order to be really effective you need not only to have a funny joke but also a funny person telling it (eg. that Iranian comedian, or your very funny best friend who always makes you laugh). There was someone interviewed who said, 'I'd choose her because she is funny. It's so important to be funny'.
Sometimes, the jokes posted on 'Laugh Judgement' do not work so well because they are written down.
One of the most popular comedians in Creamtealand is Jethro.
His jokes are as old as the hills, as dirty as dishwater, and choc full of corny cheese. He walks around the stage talking as if you were in his front room. But everyone laughs because he is so darned funny. He is.... well.... just Jethro.
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Retired, sitting back and watching others for a change.
Posts: 34626 | From: Cream Tealand | Registered: Jun 2001
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Papio
Ship's baboon
# 4201
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Posted
Can I ask a genuine question?
I accept that the ship is not going to stop posting peodophile jokes on the board.
I just don't understand why it is not already clear what people think of them, without any need for further examples?
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Infinite Penguins.
My "Readit, Swapit" page
My "LibraryThing" page
Posts: 12176 | From: a zoo in England. | Registered: Mar 2003
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
I would imagine it has something to do with the ship not being a democracy. We don't get to vote.
The Sun has not stopped having semi-naked women on page three, and I think it cheap and degrading. So I don't buy it.
The Priest and Pimple is not a new joke, so your premise that the ship is posting “further examples” is not valid.
Not everyone has such a strong negative reaction. Some have found the jokes amusing. They are not to the taste of some, I don’t like cabbage, it takes all sorts.
P
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
Hosting
Whilst we may have some talk about this subject I am suggesting that if anyone has a big problem with this they take it to the Styx as it is more to do with ship policy rather than the nature of comedy.
Pyx_e
Hosting
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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Papio
Ship's baboon
# 4201
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pyx_e:
The Priest and Pimple is not a new joke, so your premise that the ship is posting “further examples” is not valid.
And that isn't at all what I meant.
I meant: we already know how people react to jokes about peodophilia.
I did not mean: the ship is creating new jokes in the sense of jokes that have not been heard before.
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Infinite Penguins.
My "Readit, Swapit" page
My "LibraryThing" page
Posts: 12176 | From: a zoo in England. | Registered: Mar 2003
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Papio.:
quote:
Originally posted by Pyx_e:
The Priest and Pimple is not a new joke, so your premise that the ship is posting “further examples” is not valid.
And that isn't at all what I meant.
I meant: we already know how people react to jokes about peodophilia.
I did not mean: the ship is creating new jokes in the sense of jokes that have not been heard before.
Yes we do know how people react to jokes about Paedophilia; in all sorts of different ways. Not all in the same way. Not all in the same way as you.
My point about the "newness" of the joke in question was that it has been on this board since the 15th July. It is not a furhter example, it is a month old example.
P
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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Papio
Ship's baboon
# 4201
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Posted
I'm still not sure you have got what I mean, so I guess I'm not expressing myself clearly.
More importantly, however, Pyx_e, I like you and your a host so: I'm sorry, and I won't post about this matter on this thread again.
I'm considering posting in the Styx about it, but that doesn't mean I will.
Papio.
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Infinite Penguins.
My "Readit, Swapit" page
My "LibraryThing" page
Posts: 12176 | From: a zoo in England. | Registered: Mar 2003
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Pyx_e
Quixotic Tilter
# 57
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Posted
Erm, well I like you too......... and you can argue the toss with me as much as you want and I will still like you.
I have only posted once as a host suggesting that if you (or anyone else) wants to really get this cleared up then maybe the Styx is the place. So don't go over-respecting me just cos I had to do a little hosting.
You can still pull me up as a shipmate over my answers to your questions cos I was posing as a shipmate. But maybe it's best left til the morning now. God Bless.
P
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It is better to be Kind than right.
Posts: 9778 | From: The Dark Tower | Registered: May 2001
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jlg
What is this place?
Why am I here?
# 98
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by The Dumb Acolyte:
I'm no statistician, but it's probably useful to look at the scores over time.
It seems to me that both the Offensiveness scores and the Funniness scores have been trending down. Is this Joke fatigue or are the jokes not as funny as before? Is your scoring population getting jaded, or are the jokes not as offensive as before? Is your scoring population remaining reasonably consistent, or are a significant number of early-days scorers retiring, to be replaced with new scorers.
I doubt that the Ship's Captain and First Mate are unaware that this hardly qualifies as a scientific survey, but I think you bring up a couple of interesting points about which shipmates decided to post here and perhaps more important, which ones maintained a presence throughout the entire 'experiment'.
For myself, here's the reaction:
- I re-discovered early on in this project what I already knew: jokes out of context and especially in text usually leave me somewhere between lukewarm and cold. Plus I can only listen to/read about three jokes in a row before ennui or something similar sets in.
- Perhaps this one is my own fault for not posting without reading every single bit of commentary on this board, but the totally predictable responses ("paedophilia jokes are unacceptable!" "No, it was funny, you're just a prude!") quickly became boring.
- Aside from the few jokes (e.g.Christ sinking when attempting to walk on water after the crucifiction) directly related to specific beliefs of a particular religion, most of the jokes (as has been pointed out by numerous others) are either known to be or capable of being told in a multitude of religious/ethnic/cultural/whatever variations and therefore aren't "Christian" jokes per se.
Posts: 17391 | From: Just a Town, New Hampshire, USA | Registered: May 2001
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John Donne
Renaissance Man
# 220
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Posted
quote:
Sydney Morning Herald article linked by AM in Styx:
Austen Ivereigh, the director of public affairs for the Archbishop of Westminster, Cormac Murphy O'Connor, said some of the shortlisted jokes were distasteful. "Humour in general is a precious thing because it expresses the difference between the way things are and the way things should be," he said.
I thought this was a very meaningful comment on the nature of humour. What may follow from it: humour as an impetus for change, as a means to keep us honest.
Posts: 13667 | From: Perth, W.A. | Registered: May 2001
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