Mocking racism is something that I find extremely funny. "Mocking racism is when you aren't actually a racist, but you just make fun of the idea and throw in jokes just to make people laugh"- Chadwick Word.
I only know one person that has grown up in my generation that I can truly say is a racist: Dave Brown. So I interviewed him.
"Dave, how do you feel about African Americans?"
"They are no good."
"Dave, why do you say this?"
"The thirteenth amendment was bullsh*t"
"Dave, if you can create another amendment, what would it do?"
"Prisons should only be made for black people."
"Thank you, Dave."
That interview never actually happened. I was mocking racism along with my other friend whose name I can not reveal.
Two of my favorite comedy shows are based on mocking racism: Key and Peele and Tosh.O. Both comedians target the race of African Americans, but there is one difference being that Key and Peele are both black where as Daniel Tosh is white. So this causes some problems because people feel like it is OK for Key and Peele to make fun of black people because they are black, but will think it is inappropriate for Daniel Tosh to do so because he is white.
Here is a clip from Key and Peele making fun of black people: http://youtu.be/gODZzSOelss
Here is a clip from Tosh.O making fun of black people:
Do you think that mocking racism is appropriate? How much do you hate Tosh.O?
While I do not think that mocking racism is appropriate, I believe that there are a few circumstances where it may be deemed as acceptable. For example, the Key and Peele video is able to mock African-Americans because the hosts of the show are black, so they are not attacking another race. However, the Tosh.O video is more on the inappropriate side because the host is of a different race than the group that he is mocking.
ReplyDeleteRacism is still a large issue in our society today, but I certainly believe that tension between races has died down overall. For example, I would have been forced to use a different bathroom and go to a different school than my black friends several years ago. The thought of doing this now is absolutely insane to me. Why would someone be told what he or she can or cannot do solely based on the color of his or her skin? Fortunately, we do not experience these types of drastic differences today, but there is still much that needs to be done in order to emphasize the importance of equality.
Growing up in Memphis has allowed me to be exposed to all types of people. I played basketball my whole life, which is a primarily black sport, especially in the competitive leagues. Some of my best friends are of a different race than me, and we would often make fun of each other by making racist jokes. While I would never do this to a stranger, I believe that it is more acceptable when you personally know the individual that you are mocking. As long as there is consent on both sides, I think it is appropriate. The victim simply needs knows that you are laughing with them rather than laughing at them.
Certainly Tosh.O is more inappropriate--but, is it racist??
DeleteIt is good on the one hand that there is an increasing sense that race "isn't an issue." On the other hand, Chad's racist "friend"--the same friend no doubt on whose behalf I call my doctor and ask embarrassing questions for--brings up the prison question. When it comes to criminal justice, there are still real inequalities. So, maybe the discomfort of comedy is needed to break the peace, as much as to keep it.
You're saying "prisons should be made only for black people" as if that is not currently the case.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, mocking racism could be read in two ways--a form of mocking that is racist, or a mockery of racism. The phrase you use is apt in that it is ambiguous. Indeed, there might even be three categories here: humor that is racism, humor that is about race and racism, and humor that mocks or attacks racism. What makes the difference?