adw95 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. It's purely and simply down to proximity. Most people know somebody who has been affected by cancer. Far fewer people know somebody affected by HIV, and even so now HIV isn't the death sentence it once was. Ebola is (for now) mostly just killing a few thousand Africans, so nothing to worry about, in the same way that the death of one local person in, say a car accident will be reported far more closely than 1,000 Syrians getting killed in a rocket attack. I would guess the bold part was not your actual opinion, just a view on the state of western society? I suppose I understand and you're right, but it's unfair IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjw63 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Yoghurt knitter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. Cancer should be funny. It's been more than 22.3 years. A while to go for Ebola yet though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. It's purely and simply down to proximity. Most people know somebody who has been affected by cancer. Far fewer people know somebody affected by HIV, and even so now HIV isn't the death sentence it once was. Ebola is (for now) mostly just killing a few thousand Africans, so nothing to worry about, in the same way that the death of one local person in, say a car accident will be reported far more closely than 1,000 Syrians getting killed in a rocket attack. I would guess the bold part was not your actual opinion, just a view on the state of western society? I suppose I understand and you're right, but it's unfair IMO. Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. Cancer should be funny. It's been more than 22.3 years. A while to go for Ebola yet though. It should be funny? - care to explain that a little further ................ (4th time of writing this post as the first one had the many swear words and insults in it !) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Well, either make jokes about both or don't make jokes about either. Double standards are annoying & I'm quite uncomfortable with the idea that AIDS is somehow easier to joke about because it generally only affects a smaller section of society or people thousands of miles away i.e. there is an implication that because it doesn't cause harm to you or people like you, it is fair game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Seems like a few in here have a bad case of cancer of the humour. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Well, either make jokes about both or don't make jokes about either. Double standards are annoying & I'm quite uncomfortable with the idea that AIDS is somehow easier to joke about because it generally only affects a smaller section of society or people thousands of miles away i.e. there is an implication that because it doesn't cause harm to you or people like you, it is fair game. Categorisation of diseases into what is acceptable to joke about and what isn't is a very tricky process if ever you want to follow that path. Jokes as such about things that affect many people, and probably directly in forums like this are certainly another consideration. Look at Ebola and Aids (the two mentioned earlier). Society in general allows for jokes to be told because as Mart points out they don't affect the vast majority within our society group. Cancer on the other hand affects a hell of a lot of people all over so will obviously be a very sensitive subject. I have spent a lot of time working in places like Texas and East Europe where racism both mild and downright extreme is par for the course and as a result jokes of a racist nature are widely accepted there. Look at religious jokes in certain countries and societies they are very much taboo (!) but others it's fair game. For me especially cancer aint a laughing matter for reasons I have previously stated on this site - others have used that against me, but hey each to their own at the end of the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. Cancer should be funny. It's been more than 22.3 years. A while to go for Ebola yet though. It should be funny? - care to explain that a little further ................ (4th time of writing this post as the first one had the many swear words and insults in it !) 22.3 years, South Park reference... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=612DEoTFH0o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 ahhh sorry Sir - I suppose I am bit sensitive re the C thing at the moment - apologies for any inference etc and have a (virtual) pint on me - or a real one if ever around VP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 Ha, no worries, I didn't even realise you'd aimed expletives at me until I re-read the post. Welllll, I have had my eye on the Aston Tavern for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodders0223 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I want to see the original post now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dAVe80 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 That it is generally acceptable by our society that people can make jokes about Ebola (current trend), AIDS (this website in particular) and it be funny to the vast majority, but if someone makes a joke about cancer it is frowned upon more often than not. I'm not saying that none of these should be funny, I think they all can be and are given the correct circumstances. I think part of it is to do with the fact that, with Aids and Ebola there's an element of being able to avoid them (I'm not for one moment saying sufferers of either did anything wrong, or didn't take enough care, and I'm really over simplifying) (SD), where as Cancer is so indiscriminate, and can affect anyone at any time. I have been told jokes in the past that involved Cancer, and found them amusing, this is despite the fact family members and friends have suffered. When I've retold the joke though, I've changed the theme to Aids, as I know Cancer is a more emotive subject. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 im quite easy going but i had to bite my tongue with a work mate one day when he made a joke about leukemia and at the time my gran had it to which it eventually killed her. he wernt to know and we all make jokes which can offend people so i counted to ten. same happend when the missus had a miscarriage for the third time and a work mate made a joke in the van about it, i just had to get out the van before i did something i regretted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I want to see the original post now Me too! Ha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dont_do_it_doug. Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 im quite easy going but i had to bite my tongue with a work mate one day when he made a joke about leukemia and at the time my gran had it to which it eventually killed her. he wernt to know and we all make jokes which can offend people so i counted to ten. same happend when the missus had a miscarriage for the third time and a work mate made a joke in the van about it, i just had to get out the van before i did something i regretted. As you said, they were not to know. My ex had a miscarriage, I've lost people I love to the big C, I don't see the point in getting het up when people joke about such things as long as it is coming from a place of innocence. Context is everything. I save my aggression for when it is truly necessary and called for. Otherwise how can I expect people to take me seriously? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Jon Posted October 9, 2014 Popular Post Share Posted October 9, 2014 I don't see a problem with humour on almost any subject, unless it's deliberately directly personal. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 yeah im glad i did not react although it was very touchy at the time but like you say doug context is everything. i know they did not mean it deep down as they have probably lost relatives to cancer etc etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 (edited) edit Edited October 9, 2014 by Rugeley Villa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rugeley Villa Posted October 9, 2014 Share Posted October 9, 2014 I don't see a problem with humour on almost any subject, unless it's deliberately directly personal. yeah i agree, sometimes it can be a bit touchy but aslong as it aint personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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