Should Jokes be made about famous people

[Pheasy]

Do you think jokes about famous people should be allowed? Do you find them funny? Usually jokes about famous people contain lies or an exaggeration of the truth. The internet is full of them. Should there be internet police who remove all jokes that are based on a lie? There's thousands of them, I picked this one out as the joke contains lies about both the Queen and Bush.

BUSH HAS TEA WITH THE QUEEN

While visiting England, George Bush is invited to tea with the Queen. He asks her what her leadership philosophy is. She says that it is to surround herself with intelligent people.

Bush asks how she knows if they're intelligent.

"I do so by asking them the right questions," says the Queen. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Bush watches as the Queen phones Tony Blair and says, "Mr. Prime Minister, please answer this question: your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or sister. Who is it?"

Tony Blair responds, "It's me, ma'am."

"Correct. Thank you and good-bye, sir," says the Queen. She hangs up and says, "Did you get that, Mr. Bush?"

Bush nods: "Yes ma'am. Thanks a lot. I'll definitely be using that!"

Bush, upon returning to Washington, decides he'd better put the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to the test. Bush summons Jesse Helms to the White House and says, "Senator Helms, I wonder if you can answer a question for me."

"Why, of course, sir. What's on your mind?"

Bush poses the question: "Uhh, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Helms hems and haws and finally asks, "Can I think about it and get back to you?"

Bush agrees, and Helms leaves. He immediately calls a meeting of other senior Republican senators, and they puzzle over the question for several hours, but nobody can come up with an answer. Finally, in desperation, Helms calls Colin Powell at the State Department and explains his problem.

"Now lookee here, son, your mother has a child, and your father has a child, and this child is not your brother or your sister. Who is it?"

Powell answers immediately, "It's me, of course."

Much relieved, Helms rushes back to the White House, finds George Bush, and exclaims, "I know the answer, sir! I know who it is! It's Colin Powell!"

And Bush replies in disgust, "Wrong, you dumb sh*t, it's Tony Blair!"

[abbey]

If they're in the public eye then they're ripe for it.

Hey any publicity's good publicity.

[Pheasy]

But where do we draw the line between a joke being funny or hurtful? Even famous people have feelings? I have seen a few jokes about Princess Diana, which some would find funny, but I found a little upsetting.

[koan]

I think some of the jokes are an "insert person you wish to insult here" format. Like we used to have tons of jokes about Newfies then it was decided that Newfie should become "Slobovia" because it doesn't exist but fills the slot.

Personally, I don't care for celebrity jokes because I worked with so many of them and saw the utter idiocy of what gets printed about them. I'd be working with them and know that the story was completely false. Then jokes get started about them based on false news... in the end I just stopped paying any attention to what is said about anyone famous.

When you get to know even one famous person as a friend the jokes stop being funny when you see or hear them about your friend.

[moonpie]

Koan, you have made a good point, but if the person is screwing up, then it is up for grabs.

[mrsK]

I don't think you are going to stop them.

The day Heath Ledger died I got an email with a joke about him.

I thought it was a bit out of order ,but others may have found it funny.

A joke is ajoke is ajoke if you don't think it is in order don't repeat it,thats my look on things.:-6

[koan]

moonpie;776574 wrote: Koan, you have made a good point, but if the person is screwing up, then it is up for grabs.


Yes but I've thought about how it would feel if everyone in the world was told every time I did or said something stupid and it reinforces why I've never wanted to be famous.

I have a hard enough time forgetting about the stupid stuff as it is. I like that I'm allowed to. Next to crap I've said or done most of what the celebrities have done seems like peanuts.

[gmc]

ThePheasant;776518 wrote: Do you think jokes about famous people should be allowed? Do you find them funny? Usually jokes about famous people contain lies or an exaggeration of the truth. The internet is full of them. Should there be internet police who remove all jokes that are based on a lie? There's thousands of them, I picked this one out as the joke contains lies about both the Queen and Bush.




What are you suggesting the humour police. The only test of a joke is whether it is funny. Some people are incapable of getting some forms of humour-notably irony. No one can explain why one thing is funny and another not-it depends on culture as much as anything else-I never found benny hill particularly funny but plenty do. The thought police got him taken off as being non PC.

Those in the public eye and Politicians Especially need the **** taken on a regular basis. The funniest jokes about famous people have an element of truth about them. Most people can tell the difference between a joke and a nasty story.

A racial joke is funny in some circumstances. Take austin powers and Mike Myers character, fat bastard. A stereotypical joke about scots people. If it had been a fat black american people would have been outraged and cries of racism heard all over the place. Most scots I know find it hilarious-my wife certainly does but she's english and perhaps doesn't count. I've got a fluorescent green hillwalking jacket she now calls my shrek jacket.

Lenny henry takes the mickey out of west indian culture and people laugh, jim davidson is making racist jokes if he does the same.

The life of brian is hilarious but some just think it offensive because they don't understand the humour, usually because they are the type that are the target. The day a muslim makes a similar film and gets it released then we will have progressed.

Black humour is a way of dealing with tragedy in our culture that's why jokes about funerals and death are popular. At my grandfather's funeral they actually opened up the wrong grave and it was already full (same surname poor checking) we had to wait while they opened the correct one and buried him. Not actually very funny but at the funeral feast someone made the comment-"just like the old bastard cantankerous to the last". It was over an hour before people could stop laughing.

[Imladris]

I think the difference is between jokes and stories. Most people understand that a joke is just that, an attempt to draw humour by the telling of fiction. However stories that are presented as the truth or based on the truth are a different matter.



Famous people are just like anyone else in that lies about them hurt, it's just that more people get to hear them.



If you choose to seek fame then I think you have to accept that it's inevitable that there will be a downside to fame as well as the advantages it brings.



I feel sorry for those who do not choose to be famous but by circumstances or birth it's thrust upon them. To have your every move scrutinised must be very hard to live with.







BTW. I looove fat bastard - 'Ah eat babies!'

[spot]

I feel dreadfully out of touch with reality, I have no idea who fat bastard is.

[gmc]

spot;776658 wrote: I feel dreadfully out of touch with reality, I have no idea who fat bastard is.


I may regret this.