quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani
It seems it's ok to be racist if you make jokes about it.
There are probably more examples like this. Feel free to add your opinion.
Is Achmed the dead terrorist a racist act?

quote:

ORIGINAL: ExquisiteStings

And I remember an acting teacher once saying to the class, "What makes people laugh? For the most part, we laugh at other people's pain!"  It's true a lot of the time, whether it's physical or psychological.

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zonie63

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani
It seems it's ok to be racist if you make jokes about it.
There are probably more examples like this. Feel free to add your opinion.
Is Achmed the dead terrorist a racist act?

I think it really depends on the context and how far it actually goes. Some people believe that any kind of ethnic humor is an absolute no-no, as it is believed that even mild, innocuous jokes (some of which might even be rather funny) could lead to more inflammatory rhetoric. It's hard to say, though. The character of Archie Bunker in All in the Family was a satirical caricature of a racist, yet it did include a peppering of racial and ethnic humor and epithets. But it was done in the context of bringing greater awareness to very real issues affecting America.

I've never heard of this French comedian before. Is he just doing this as a gimmick, or is he just looking for attention? Is he popular? Do a lot of people attend his shows? There have been plenty of irreverent, tasteless, and outright offensive comedians out there - perhaps for the sake of shock value to compensate for jokes which aren't very funny. Although, some can make it work, but only as long as they're funny. A comedian who is not funny...well, that just doesn't work.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani

quote:

ORIGINAL: Zonie63

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani
It seems it's ok to be racist if you make jokes about it.
There are probably more examples like this. Feel free to add your opinion.
Is Achmed the dead terrorist a racist act?

I think it really depends on the context and how far it actually goes. Some people believe that any kind of ethnic humor is an absolute no-no, as it is believed that even mild, innocuous jokes (some of which might even be rather funny) could lead to more inflammatory rhetoric. It's hard to say, though. The character of Archie Bunker in All in the Family was a satirical caricature of a racist, yet it did include a peppering of racial and ethnic humor and epithets. But it was done in the context of bringing greater awareness to very real issues affecting America.

I've never heard of this French comedian before. Is he just doing this as a gimmick, or is he just looking for attention? Is he popular? Do a lot of people attend his shows? There have been plenty of irreverent, tasteless, and outright offensive comedians out there - perhaps for the sake of shock value to compensate for jokes which aren't very funny. Although, some can make it work, but only as long as they're funny. A comedian who is not funny...well, that just doesn't work.

Dieudonne is a french muslim comedian convicted 6 times for racial slurs against jews.
But let's take another step. It's perfectly ok for an african american to say the 'N' word because it's his own race. That's all fine and dandy but I rarely hear white people calling eachother cracker. Why is that?
Why is rapmusic overflowing with calling their women bitches and ho's?
This should ring a bell in the bdsm community where slavery and cursing is made into an artform.
This BDSM community is considered very liberal up to the point of demeaning people. While at home it's considered allright and a good thing. I sense a contradiction in terms. A travesty of reality and many many denials.

Chris Rock - about Rap music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWoiZwU93fM

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ORIGINAL: Toysinbabeland

People will always say whatever it is that they want to say even if it is only behind closed doors. The line in the sand is ours to draw.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani
Nantes and Tours have become the latest French cities to ban a show by controversial comic Dieudonne M'bala M'bala.
Dieudonne, who has six convictions for hate speech against Jews, had been due to open his tour in Nantes on Thursday.
Bordeaux and Marseille had already cancelled performances.
President Francois Hollande earlier urged French officials to enforce an order authorising the ban, but Dieudonne has vowed to appeal.
The comic has quipped about gas chambers and is accused of deriding Holocaust survivors and victims.
But he denies his trademark "quenelle" gesture is an inverted Nazi salute, instead describing it as an anti-establishment sign.
It made headlines in the UK in late December when used by West Bromwich Albion footballer Nicolas Anelka during a goal celebration.
The striker said the gesture had been "a dedication to Dieudonne", not an anti-Semitic salute.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25637069
It seems it's ok to be racist if you make jokes about it.
There are probably more examples like this. Feel free to add your opinion.
Is Achmed the dead terrorist a racist act?

quote:

ORIGINAL: DesideriScuri

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani
Nantes and Tours have become the latest French cities to ban a show by controversial comic Dieudonne M'bala M'bala.
Dieudonne, who has six convictions for hate speech against Jews, had been due to open his tour in Nantes on Thursday.
Bordeaux and Marseille had already cancelled performances.
President Francois Hollande earlier urged French officials to enforce an order authorising the ban, but Dieudonne has vowed to appeal.
The comic has quipped about gas chambers and is accused of deriding Holocaust survivors and victims.
But he denies his trademark "quenelle" gesture is an inverted Nazi salute, instead describing it as an anti-establishment sign.
It made headlines in the UK in late December when used by West Bromwich Albion footballer Nicolas Anelka during a goal celebration.
The striker said the gesture had been "a dedication to Dieudonne", not an anti-Semitic salute.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25637069
It seems it's ok to be racist if you make jokes about it.
There are probably more examples like this. Feel free to add your opinion.
Is Achmed the dead terrorist a racist act?

Here's the way I see it: if it isn't funny, the comedian will no longer have gigs, right? If he's funny, then the people, by using their feet and wallets, keep a comedian employed. That's how comedians earn their keep, isn't it? Isn't that how the Market is supposed to work? If you aren't bringing a product to Market (the comedy act) that the consumers want, you either stop bringing anything to Market, or improve your product to what the consumers want.

Do I want there to be racists? Of course not.

Do I think there aren't racists? Good God in Heaven, there are racists all over the place. A comedian that is racist is limiting his audience to those that agree. Government fiat isn't going to make a racist a non-racist.

A quick Googling gives me the impression that no one knows who's quote it is, but: "Better to keep silent and be thought a fool, than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt."

Let a racist go on a rant and be exposed as a racist.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani

QUOTE
The vast majority of rap music (66%) is purchased by young whites. So it is really not African Americans who are supporting that culture and that language. Its white America. I personally believe that artistic license should be allowed for people in the arts. (unfortunately that includes rappers.) QUIT

Maybe just maybe white americans have more money to purchase records?

I am sure they do and they tend to purchase a lot of rap music with that money.

So let's have a look at rapper concerts and start counting black and white people...
I think the numbers will reverse drastically.

That depends on where the concert is being held. In predominantly white areas the audience is predominantly white. In predominantly black areas the audience is predominantly black. Typically people who can afford to buy the music are the same ones who can afford those overpriced concert tickets.

Follow the money. Who does most of the money come from? Whites. Who does most of the money go to? Whites. That should give you a good idea about who is really supporting and promoting the rap culture and its language.

I do think rednecks has a very different history and [Mod Edit: Removed ethnic slur] aint really something people say with pride.

The n-word is not something most black people say with pride either. Although there are country singers who do say [Mod Edit: Removed ethnic slur] with pride. Reba McIntire and Toby Keith immediately come to mind. And I would say that there are no racial slurs towards whites with the same history and connotations that the N-word has for blacks.

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrBukani

It kinda reads from your post that white people conspire to make rappers use the N word. Who was the CEO of DeathRowRecords? He aint white.

You can read whatever you like into it. Its not what I said.

WideAwake Entertainment Group a division of New Solutions Financial Corporations owned DeathRow Records until last year when it was bought by Entertainment One. However; Deathrow records has been defunct for over a Decade and has had little influence over the rap industry since 1996 after the Death of Tupac Shakur.
There are 6 firms (all white owned) that supply 90% of the music that the public listens to. Warner Elektra Atlantic (WEA), Polygram, MCA Music Entertainment, BMG Distribution, Sony Music Entertainment, and CEMA/UNI Distribution.

There are/were a few black owned music labels like Death Row but none of them (including Death Row) were major labels nor did any of them ever have any control or influence over the major component of the music industry, which is distribution. They only make music that answers to the demands of the Big corporations that control distribution. (That would be the 6 companies named above) Who distribute the music and market it towards their biggest customers- white youth (mostly white teenage girls)

Like I said- follow the money.


Back to comedians, loads thrive on shock value. Racism therefor is a much favored topic. Shit on your own race and it's not racism, shit on another race and it is. Kinda feels narrowminded to me. It leads to the fact people cannot be critical towards the culture of other races or ethnic groups. Wich leads people to only speak their mind behind closed doors. That ain't very healthy and is even more dangerous. I rather have people saying it in my face they hate white people then behind closed doors.

I already commented that I don't like it and I don't listen to it, but artistic license, freedom of speech, blah blah blah.
I agree. I would rather someone be up front about being a racist too; but that really doesn't happen too much does it?