When will Hollywood stop with race jokes?

[PopcornTreeCt]

[rant] I cant stand those White Chicks commercials where every other line is a remark involving race. Of course its not just that movie, Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith have been making the same kind of jokes. Why are there people that find this funny? I can't stand it! [/rant]

[Matthew Chmiel]

Most race jokes in mainstream films today have been basically delagated to whites being made fun by blacks (Rock, Lawrence, and Smith as you mentioned). But if you change the clock back by twenty years, mainstream comedy films basically had the whites making fun of blacks. Comedy is subjective and people find race jokes to be hilarious. Hell, I know I do and I'm not a racist. If one person can poke fun at another person due to their religion, race, culture, or what not and the other person can find humor in it and not be offended, then all is good with the world. If the person is offended, then said person is a big pansy that needs to remove the stick from his butt.



What pisses me off is that too many comedies today are too politically correct. At least the (somewhat awful) film Soul Plane had fun as stereotypes for both black and white people were poked fun at. Hell, they even threw a few Al Queda jokes in there too. While most of the jokes in the film are a complete miss, it was nice to see a mainstream comedy film have some balls and poke fun of people at different cultures.

I know I have no problem when people make fun of me for being Italian, Polish, Irish, Catholic, and white.

[fumanstan]

Short answer... when they stop being funny I agree about the politcal correctness and really wish groups would stop complaining whenever television or media pokes fun at a stereotype. People need to lighten up.

[68ShelbyGT500KR]

Black "comedians"/shows and movies tend to have jokes about white people and can't tell a "joke" without cursing so much. I watched Dave Chappelles' 1st Season dvd ( To see what all the rave about his show was about, since I don't have Cable) and I thought he has alot of potiential but too much cursing and use of the *N* word. Lost my DVD sale. I was going to buy it for 11.91 at ddd but the above made no not get the dvd.

[Matthew Chmiel]

I watched Dave Chappelles' 1st Season dvd ( To see what all the rave about his show was about, since I don't have Cable) and I thought he has alot of potiential but too much cursing and use of the *N* word.

Well I guess you should stay away from most black comedians then! Well except Wayne Brady.

[68ShelbyGT500KR]

Originally posted by Matthew Chmiel
Well I guess you should stay away from most black comedians then! Well except Wayne Brady.

If that is the only way they can be , then I won't see the shows/movies.

[jaeufraser]

Well, as someone said they'll stop when they stop being funny. Granted, it seems like every black comedian enjoys this sort of humor (though why Will Smith was mentioned...??...he rarely does this sort of humor, I can't even think of many examples, he's not even a stand up comedian).

It's also a matter of how you do it. I think Chapelle is hilarious. Sure he makes fun of white people, but he makes fun of everybody. He mocks from the ground up, and has a relevant and funny sense of humor. He'll take a potshot at white stereotypes, but that'll be mixed with just as many black stereotypes.

Then you have someone like Chris Rock, who can be very funny, but seems to become more and more a angry, I don't like white people tirade in many of his acts. It's not that funny because much of the time it's just white people do this, they do that, blah blah blah.


Sure, some might not find it funny, but for many of us racial humor can be hilarious. Just not when it's more racist than funny and observant.

[BigPete]

Racial humor can be hilarious and I hope society never gets so tight-assed that it goes away. Just look at Blazing Saddles ...

[RyoHazuki]

I wouldnt mind if it wasnt so one sided. Every movie with a black person has to make a white joke but white people have to be so careful not to offend any group besides nazis.

[Suprmallet]

To be fair to Chris Rock, his HBO show made fun of black people as much as it made fun of white people.

[Groucho]

I wish "those people" would stop being so "uppity" and "learn their place."

[68ShelbyGT500KR]

Originally posted by RyoHazuki
I wouldnt mind if it wasnt so one sided. Every movie with a black person has to make a white joke but white people have to be so careful not to offend any group besides nazis.

Well Said!

[Dean Kousoulas]

I always thought Dave Chapelle made more fun of black people then he did whites...

I agree about the arguement being one sided Ryo. Usually when a white person makes a racist joke, he's considered a racist. When a black man makes a racist joke, it's just harmless fun.

[Jackskeleton]

I hope never. I'm not racist, I'm mexican and I love humor that is based on racial terms.

[conscience]

When those who are telling the jokes realize that it is getting old and tired and just dad'blame stupid.

--------

Oh and Grouch(o), have you done a movie challenge recently? I was searching last night and saw a few threads on these challenges. I want you to do it again so I can get in on it. I can't believe I never saw the threads before.

[tdirgins]

I think Chuck D of Public Enemy said it best way back in the early 90's:

Burn Hollywood burn
I smell a riot Goin' on
first they're guilty now they're gone
Yeah I'll check out a movie
But it'll take a Black one to move me
Get me the hell away from this TV
All this news and views are beneath me
Cause all I hear about is shots ringin' out
About gangs puttin' each other's head out
So I rather kick some slang out
All right fellas let's go hang out
Hollywood or would they not
Make us all look bad like I know they had
But some things I'll never forget yeah
So step and fetch this shit
For all the years we looked like clowns
The joke is over smell the smoke from all around
Burn Hollywood burn

ICE CUBE:

Ice Cube is down with the PE
Now every single bitch wanna see me
Big Daddy is smooth word to muther
Let's check out a flick that exploits the color
Roamin' thru Hollywood late at night
Red and blue lights what a common sight
Pulled to the curb gettin' played like a sucker
Don't fight the power shoot the mother ****er

BIG DADDY KANE:

As I walk the streets of Hollywood Boulevard
Thinkin' how hard it was to those that starred
In the movies portrayin' the roles
Of butlers and maids slaves and hoes
Many intelligent Black men seemed to look uncivilized
When on the screen
Like a guess I figure you to play some jigaboo
On the plantation, what else can a ****** do
And Black women in this profession
As for playin' a lawyer, out of the question
For what they play Aunt Jemima is the perfect term
Even if now she got a perm
So let's make our own movies like Spike Lee
Cause the roles being offered don't strike me
There's nothing that the Black man could use to earn
Burn Hollywood burn

[cupcake jesus]

Originally posted by Groucho
I wish "those people" would stop being so "uppity" and "learn their place."

When whitefaces scores at the box office, and blackface is culturally taboo, you'd have to imbibe a LOT of that Salt Lake City near-beer to miss the double standard.

White Chicks is about as cool as a minstrel show, Groucho.

Cheers.

-the Jesus

[BigPete]

Originally posted by cupcake jesus
When whitefaces scores at the box office, and blackface is culturally taboo, you'd have to imbibe a LOT of that Salt Lake City near-beer to miss the double standard.

I don't recall anyone lynching C. Thomas Howell for 'Soul Man' (although they probably should have).

[Groucho]

Originally posted by conscience
Oh and Grouch(o), have you done a movie challenge recently?

They've been happening regularly, usually with other people at the helm.

[iggystar]

Originally posted by BigPete
I don't recall anyone lynching C. Thomas Howell for 'Soul Man' (although they probably should have).

No one seems to remember this! I thought the movie was funny and other racially based comedies funny as well.

[ChefWinduAZ]

Originally posted by 68ShelbyGT500KR
Lost my DVD sale. I was going to buy it for 11.91 at ddd but the above made no not get the dvd.

Well with as many copies as it sold, I don't think they are worried about you not buying it. You would be considered in the 'minority' on this one.

[Nick Danger]

Hollywood will stop with race jokes when people are no longer uncomfortable about race.

Eight year olds stop telling diaper jokes when they're no longer stressed from potty training. Guys in their 20s stop telling sex jokes when they stop being anxious about sex. On the day that lawyers become nonthreatening, lawyer jokes will stop.

People are threatened by racial differences and racism. The jokes relieve stress.

[Rival11]

Originally posted by PopcornTreeCt
When will Hollywood stop with race jokes?

Right after this thread dies down.

[Charlie Goose]

White people are lame, and you know it!

[majorjoe23]

When white people post in DVD Talk threads, they type like this (Majorjoe23 sits up straight, carefully selecting each key)

When black people post in DVD Talk threads, they type like this (Majorjoe23's Imac has hydrolics, his arms are swinging, even "raising the roof" if you will)