5 ms·

But was he a representative of Dell? If you hire a comedian, then does it become his responsibility to stick to your sensibilities? The onus should be on Dell a

by Indyan 14y ago

But was he a representative of Dell? If you hire a comedian, then does it become his responsibility to stick to your sensibilities? The onus should be on Dell and not on the comedian. Moreover, since when are we supposed to interpret what a comedian says so literally? The comment that seems to be most offensive is "Thank god there's so few women in this business, keep up the good work!" Taken sarcastically, that very statement would become an indictment of the tech industry for failing to maintain a gender balance. I am certain that if the same line had come from a lady, no one would have found it offensive. Now, I am not saying that the comedian in question isn't misogynist. I know nothing about his personality. I am simply trying to play the devil's advocate. I just want to highlight that context and intention matter. Otherwise, Russel Peters would be in jail by now. Also, why I am being downvoted to oblivion for raising a pretty reasonable point of discussion? In my mind, downvotes shouldn't be used as a tool for censorship, or to restrict discussion. It should be used for quality control more than anything else.

jbri 14y ago
> I am certain that if the same line had come from a lady, no one would have found it offensive. Well yes, because context matters. When you have a power disparity, comedy only goes one way - if a member of a majority group makes disparaging remarks about a minority group, that's not funny, it's straight-up bigotry.
- roopeshv 14y ago
  so anyone can make a joke about asian guys, you know because there are over a billion them in this world
yummyfajitas 14y ago
Don't try to interpret this logically. Interpret it as a weird expression of American culture. In the US, we consider racism/sexism to be the worst thing ever. Compare to female promiscuity in India, or perhaps being disloyal to your family (I'm guessing from your username that you might be from India). For example, when I was working in India, I mentioned that my friend's babymomma (the mother of his child, to whom he was not married) was visiting me. The ladies in the office gave me a rather shocked and horrified reaction. In the US, you'd get the same reaction if you made a joke about Gujus. My suggestion is that if you are in the US, play along with it and just accept it as a weird Americanism. In much the same way, Indians constantly asking me about my family is just a funny cultural thing I play along with.
- liedra 14y ago
  It's not just in the US, and it's not a "funny cultural thing". Your whole post is extremely ignorant. It's attitudes like yours that make people think that racism and sexism is acceptable behaviour. It's not.
  - yummyfajitas 14y ago
    In India, it's hardly unusual to make sexist or racist jokes at work. It's all in good fun and no one takes it seriously. This idea that everyone must be ultra sensitive and take jokes seriously is a cultural practice of the anglosphere (and perhaps a couple of other European nations). The jokes made about me when I worked in India were along the lines of "no American jokes - he'll sue." It does extend a bit beyond the US, but it's not remotely universal. Similarly, my remarks about Indian perception of babymommas and family values aren't restricted to India, but are certainly representative of a big cultural gap between India and the US. Pretty much any logical justification one could provide would be hopelessly based on other cultural practices and ideas, though I'd love to hear you try to cook one up that isn't (you might surprise me).
    - liedra 14y ago
      You're completely missing the point. Sexist and racist jokes shouldn't be acceptable anywhere, not in India, not in Europe, not in Sticksville, Stickscountry. Acceptance is not the same as acceptability.
      - yummyfajitas 14y ago
        "Unwed mothers shouldn't be acceptable anywhere, not in India, not in Europe, not in the US." This is simply a statement of a moral value. The fact that a certain group of people tend to agree with such a statement is a cultural thing. You should choose your words more carefully. "Ignorant" implies a lack of knowledge, I believe "immoral" is actually the word you were looking for.
        14y ago

by Indyan 14y ago

jbri 14y ago

> I am certain that if the same line had come from a lady, no one would have found it offensive. Well yes, because context matters. When you have a power disparity, comedy only goes one way - if a member of a majority group makes disparaging remarks about a minority group, that's not funny, it's straight-up bigotry.

roopeshv 14y ago
so anyone can make a joke about asian guys, you know because there are over a billion them in this world

yummyfajitas 14y ago

Don't try to interpret this logically. Interpret it as a weird expression of American culture. In the US, we consider racism/sexism to be the worst thing ever. Compare to female promiscuity in India, or perhaps being disloyal to your family (I'm guessing from your username that you might be from India). For example, when I was working in India, I mentioned that my friend's babymomma (the mother of his child, to whom he was not married) was visiting me. The ladies in the office gave me a rather shocked and horrified reaction. In the US, you'd get the same reaction if you made a joke about Gujus. My suggestion is that if you are in the US, play along with it and just accept it as a weird Americanism. In much the same way, Indians constantly asking me about my family is just a funny cultural thing I play along with.

liedra 14y ago
It's not just in the US, and it's not a "funny cultural thing". Your whole post is extremely ignorant. It's attitudes like yours that make people think that racism and sexism is acceptable behaviour. It's not.
- yummyfajitas 14y ago
  In India, it's hardly unusual to make sexist or racist jokes at work. It's all in good fun and no one takes it seriously. This idea that everyone must be ultra sensitive and take jokes seriously is a cultural practice of the anglosphere (and perhaps a couple of other European nations). The jokes made about me when I worked in India were along the lines of "no American jokes - he'll sue." It does extend a bit beyond the US, but it's not remotely universal. Similarly, my remarks about Indian perception of babymommas and family values aren't restricted to India, but are certainly representative of a big cultural gap between India and the US. Pretty much any logical justification one could provide would be hopelessly based on other cultural practices and ideas, though I'd love to hear you try to cook one up that isn't (you might surprise me).
  - liedra 14y ago
    You're completely missing the point. Sexist and racist jokes shouldn't be acceptable anywhere, not in India, not in Europe, not in Sticksville, Stickscountry. Acceptance is not the same as acceptability.
    - yummyfajitas 14y ago
      "Unwed mothers shouldn't be acceptable anywhere, not in India, not in Europe, not in the US." This is simply a statement of a moral value. The fact that a certain group of people tend to agree with such a statement is a cultural thing. You should choose your words more carefully. "Ignorant" implies a lack of knowledge, I believe "immoral" is actually the word you were looking for.
      - 14y ago