If you make a joke to which the essential meaning, the funny part, the punchline, is "Being gay really should be classed as a disease" you'd better be willing to stand by that and support it just the same as if you'd said it in seriousness, and to do so in a way that does not attack a group of people based on their sexuality, nationality, gender, race, or class. If you make a joke to which the essential meaning, the funny part, the punchline, is "The military (whose? a specific one, one hopes) has committed actions which I find morally or tactically wrong" you'd better be willing to stand by that and support it just the same as if you'd said it in seriousness, and to do so in a way that does not attack a group of people based their sexuality, nationality, gender, race, or class. Why? Because jokes are not just jokes. They mean something, they demonstrate something, they do something. To make a joke which means, demonstrates, or does something and then claim it means nothing because it is a joke is to show a fundamental disrespect for the power of humor.
You, dubmick, and you, Megatron, do not get yourselves off the hook by saying something is a joke. Nor does anyone else, although vv's willingness to self-examine after hir "joke" fell flat is exemplary behavior. You've both done the same thing— made an assertion ("Homosexuality being classed as a disease is good," "Barbelithers only allow jokes that conform to the board dogma") and then said "Look, it was a joke!" Saying it was a joke doesn't make it one. For one thing, jokes are funny. Instead, you've advanced propositions and then disclaimed responsibility for them. This is baby stuff, and it's boring.
Welcome to Barbelith. We don't care if you were joking. |
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