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Is it wrong

Is it wrong to make fun of others?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 15.4%

  • No

    Votes: 4 30.8%

  • Maybe/undecided/other

    Votes: 7 53.8%
  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .
Alyssa

Alyssa

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Is it "morally wrong" to make fun of people?

Is it a matter of political correctness when people get angry about certain groups being made fun of or are people being genuinely compassionate in their outrage? For example, if people marginalize certain groups for their appearance or the geographical location of where they live, is that heartless, cruel, or shallow?

I can provide more specific examples if anyone needs them, but I would like this thread to remain serious if possible.
 
evanescence said:
Is it "morally wrong" to make fun of people?

Is it a matter of political correctness when people get angry about certain groups being made fun of or are people being genuinely compassionate in their outrage? For example, if people marginalize certain groups for their appearance or the geographical location of where they live, is that heartless, cruel, or shallow?

I can provide more specific examples if anyone needs them, but I would like this thread to remain serious if possible.
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Too vauge. It all depends on the situation imo. I make fun of my wife on certain issues, but as I tell her..."I wouldn't pick on ya if I didn't love ya". ;) It also depends on how they are being picked on.
 
If someone is a dumb-ass they are are fair game for ridicule.

If they have some sort of birth defect or physical defect making fun of them is out of bounds.
 
Councilman said:
If someone is a dumb-ass they are are fair game for ridicule.
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What if they are a smart ass?? :p

I think to some extent, people making fun at us allows us to see ourselves as other see us.. A lot depends on what is being made fun of.. If the person can't help what is being made fun of, then that is wrong..
 
Last edited:
I try to make fun of all people, all of the time. People are funny creatures, myself included.
 
Can a moderator please add a poll for me? I don't know what happened but my poll didn't post and by the time I noticed that, I could no longer edit my OP. Please help! I apologize for any inconvenience. :3oops:

(Is it wrong to mock other people?

yes, no, undecided)

Thanks.

Councilman said:
If someone is a dumb-ass they are are fair game for ridicule.

If they have some sort of birth defect or physical defect making fun of them is out of bounds.
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Define physical defect. I just ask because you specified physical defect apart from birth defect.
 
It all boils down to ... are you laughing with them, or laughing at them. Its never ok to make fun of or degrade someone in a hurtful way or with hurtful intentions. Jokes and fun are different. My husband makes fun of me for certain things all the time, but I know he doesnt mean it to hurt me, hes having fun with me. Comedians do it all the time. If we cant laugh at ourselves, were in big trouble.

As an example... In Living Color. Handiman. When that first came out folks were like...oh my gosh, they cant do that!!! They cant make fun of handicapped people! But how many of us thought those skits were freakin hilarious???? Id be willing to bet even the handicapped laughed. Because it was laughing with them....not at them.
 
Moderator's Warning:
Poll added at request of OP.
 
Well... yes and no. :lol:

As Bamabrat said, if you're laughing with them, it's okay. AT them, not so much.

The line between simple humor and malicious mockery may be a fine one, but tone tells a lot about intentions.

Self-deprecating humor is often considered the most hilarious. Gabrielle Iglesias does this extremely well, as in his "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!" comedy tour.

Poking gentle fun at a friend, not in a way that makes it too personal and not in a sore spot, is a common form of interaction between people. You have to be more cautious about doing it with strangers for obvious reasons.

Making fun of a whole class of people.... well it depends on context, intent, and how it comes across.

I would say that mocking people who are innocent of wrong, with the willful intent to inflict emotional distress, is a rather evil action.
 
Mickey Shane said:
I try to make fun of all people, all of the time. People are funny creatures, myself included.
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I would fall under this category, like I have said I am a equal opportunist. That said, there is making fun of some one and then there are insults it is a matter how it is delivered and why and what the circumstances are. I suppose this is all learned through out our lives and with experience we as people learn when to say something and when to keep our mouths shut. I think there is no real template that we can use in regards to this topic and this is what I think the PC agenda tries to do.
 
let the golden rule be your guide
 
Sure, tease your friends about being too tall or too short, or use joking temper stereotypes for redheads and joking dumb stereotypes for blondes... as long as it is done in a lighthearted manner and the recipients of the teasing are not hurt by it.

Ridiculing an entire class of people with derision and contempt is wrong. No two ways about it. Examples include: All fat people are lazy, disgusting pigs; all black people smoke crack and are on welfare; people with learning disabilities are retards; ugly people should wear bags over their heads in public. Y'all get the idea. That kind of crap is vicious and hurtful because it's meant to be vicious and hurtful. And it's always, always wrong.
 
Goshin said:
Moderator's Warning:
Poll added at request of OP.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Goshin.

DiAnna said:
Sure, tease your friends about being too tall or too short, or use joking temper stereotypes for redheads and joking dumb stereotypes for blondes... as long as it is done in a lighthearted manner and the recipients of the teasing are not hurt by it.

Ridiculing an entire class of people with derision and contempt is wrong. No two ways about it. Examples include: All fat people are lazy, disgusting pigs; all black people smoke crack and are on welfare; people with learning disabilities are retards; ugly people should wear bags over their heads in public. Y'all get the idea. That kind of crap is vicious and hurtful because it's meant to be vicious and hurtful. And it's always, always wrong.
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I can agree to this irl, but I guess online it becomes too impersonal to be applicable. Until recently, I didn't believe that what people say online makes that much of a difference. More specifically, it seems like many people are focusing on generalizations being made about certain groups like the obese or the learning disabled.
 
The funniest things are the ones that offend somebody.
 
Think about what you are asking.

"Is it wrong to make fun?"

The answer is no. Life is fun, and people do hilarious things all the time. I would temper my reactions with some compassion if what's happening is really intense or unfortunate; but ultimately, if I find something funny and I want to express it, it's coming out.
 
evanescence said:
Is it "morally wrong" to make fun of people?

Is it a matter of political correctness when people get angry about certain groups being made fun of or are people being genuinely compassionate in their outrage? For example, if people marginalize certain groups for their appearance or the geographical location of where they live, is that heartless, cruel, or shallow?

I can provide more specific examples if anyone needs them, but I would like this thread to remain serious if possible.
Click to expand...

crybaby.jpg

Seriously.
 
I'm not just harsh, I'm mean and nasty. I loOove mocking people. They should try not to cry too much.
 
I only ask because I've run into trouble making fun of people in the past, (specifically fat people), and I wanted to see if people here are different.

Come on, this isn't a little funny? Why would anyone be offended by me posting this? But some will be.
 
While the initial question is pretty vague, I'm of the mind that respect is something that has to be earned and those that don't earn respect certainly are open targets for ridicule, especially when they hold ridiculous ideas.
 
All of us have something about us that makes us targets of ridicule. People made fun of me ruthlessly at one forum for being a DBZ fan and living in Tennessee. I certainly didn't cry about it. If they want to call me a redneck purely in regards to the geographical location I happen to live in, fine. It's really no big deal.
 
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