[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by kyp275

I understand the sentiment, but it is not something that I can agree with on a fundamental level. You simply can't just take something and cram it down whatever social/cultural narrative you want. By the logic in that article, what really matters is not the individual action, but rather where it fits in an equation.

Yep. Context, context, context.

It's not ok to make jokes about women - it's misogynistic because women suffers more discrimination in society, thereby implying it's perfectly fine to do it to men. By that logic, would it then be ok to joke about women if the subject is about child custody?

It's not ok to make black jokes because of the discrimination against blacks in America - so it is ok to make Asian jokes? or Irish? And does that change depending on where you are at? Would it be ok to make black jokes in Africa? or Asian jokes in Asia? or is it still not ok because somewhere on this planet someone in those group are still being discriminated against?

And the answer is, of course, "it depends".

One rule of comedy I read about (which of course isn't sufficient to really judge, but is still a good guideline) is "don't punch down". Mocking the rich for driving gold plated cars? Knock yourself out. Mocking hobos for living in cardboard houses? Not cool.

Once you start going down that road, you quickly find that nothing is ever ok, because somebody somewhere will take offense because the butt of the joke is discriminated against somewhere, and the only thing that will ever matter is the flavor of political correctness of the month

And you fall into the very trap the article warned about: you make it about feelings.