Am I overreacting by being upset at this Seinfeld joke?

WhatYouTaughtMe said:

rgambs said:

Let's everybody rip one sip one slip one, and listen to some Pearl Jam.

Funniest Pearl Jam song??
What is it?

Olympic Platinum

Maybe my sarcasm detector is off but this this discussion is a bit judgmental.  I didn’t get the impression from the OP that Thoughts Arrive was asking for approval of his sense of humor—he’d bought a box set and was wondering if he’d wasted his money and should try to sell it.  Instead the comments have been about his supposed lack of taste in comedy.  To each his own.  When it comes to comedy, there’s something for everybody.  Millions of people still watch I Love Lucy.  (Never was a fan.)

For years I’ve heard that comedy is being toned down to be PC and keep from offending people, which I don’t believe.  I still see comics pushing boundaries.  Yes, the late Don Rickles was the master of putdowns.  But his shtick was insulting individuals, not taking on social issues. 

I’ve seen this example given before, but a few years ago Chris Rock told a joke on SNL about 9/11.  As a native New Yorker, I think he has more license than I do.  I thought the joke was funny; my husband thought it crossed a line.  About 20 years ago, I heard Rock do a routine on sexual harassment.  It was offensive as hell but it was also pretty damn ass funny.  OTOH I like a lot of dark humor.  

Ya’ll are saying no subject should be off limits, but I think even comics observe some boundaries.  I remember reading an article about Joan Rivers years ago.  She gave an example of a joke she made about Karen Carpenter shortly after her death.  She told it 3 times and each audience gasped rather than laughed.  She filed the joke away and said it would be funny someday, just not then.

As far as “the dingo ate my baby” jokes, I thought that got explained.  TA said if you’re making fun of how Meryl Streep said it in the movie, that’s funny.  If you’re making fun of the actual mother whose baby was killed by a dingo and then she was falsely convicted of murder, that’s not so funny.  I think half the problem for Americans is the fact that the damn critters are called dingoes.  “A coyote killed my baby” just doesn’t have the same effect, although I’m sure Streep could give the right inflection.

Who Princess said:

Maybe my sarcasm detector is off but this this discussion is a bit judgmental.  I didn’t get the impression from the OP that Thoughts Arrive was asking for approval of his sense of humor—he’d bought a box set and was wondering if he’d wasted his money and should try to sell it.  Instead the comments have been about his supposed lack of taste in comedy.  To each his own.  When it comes to comedy, there’s something for everybody.  Millions of people still watch I Love Lucy.  (Never was a fan.)

For years I’ve heard that comedy is being toned down to be PC and keep from offending people, which I don’t believe.  I still see comics pushing boundaries.  Yes, the late Don Rickles was the master of putdowns.  But his shtick was insulting individuals, not taking on social issues. 

I’ve seen this example given before, but a few years ago Chris Rock told a joke on SNL about 9/11.  As a native New Yorker, I think he has more license than I do.  I thought the joke was funny; my husband thought it crossed a line.  About 20 years ago, I heard Rock do a routine on sexual harassment.  It was offensive as hell but it was also pretty damn ass funny.  OTOH I like a lot of dark humor.  

Ya’ll are saying no subject should be off limits, but I think even comics observe some boundaries.  I remember reading an article about Joan Rivers years ago.  She gave an example of a joke she made about Karen Carpenter shortly after her death.  She told it 3 times and each audience gasped rather than laughed.  She filed the joke away and said it would be funny someday, just not then.

As far as “the dingo ate my baby” jokes, I thought that got explained.  TA said if you’re making fun of how Meryl Streep said it in the movie, that’s funny.  If you’re making fun of the actual mother whose baby was killed by a dingo and then she was falsely convicted of murder, that’s not so funny.  I think half the problem for Americans is the fact that the damn critters are called dingoes.  “A coyote killed my baby” just doesn’t have the same effect, although I’m sure Streep could give the right inflection.

I realize it’s the internet but sheesh, enough with razzing people because they don’t share your sense of humor.

dankind said:

northerndragon said:

Well said Who P and thank you for being able to read what was written by the OP and register their true intentions.
The UG hive mind that keeps bubbling to the surface around here is what keeps me away much of the time. People are allowed to have different view points, without having to be hammered repeatedly until they agree or go away just it will stop. 
Very poor form on a few around here.

It's an open forum. Unfortunately, reading comprehension isn't everyone's strong suit.

Having said that, more than a few folks did specifically answer the OP's questions -- basically, yes, there are more distasteful jokes, so do yourself a favor and stop watching -- in the beginning of this thread.

But apparently, true to his form of asking for advice and then not taking it, he kept watching anyway until there was another joke to offend him that he could bring up here to get even more attention, which he then took as ridicule -- and maybe one or two comments were of that nature but certainly not a whole hive.

You're not despised, @Thoughts_Arrive . If you were, people wouldn't keep trying to help you. You're just annoying at times. So am I. So is everyone who has posted in this thread. Some especially so. But we're all in this thing together. We all have to live with ourselves and each other if we so choose. If we can change the traits about us that lead to continued conflict without losing too much ourselves along the way, then that's part of the journey. If we can't, then tolerance is also part of the journey. 

oftenreading said:

The Juggler said:

dankind said:

northerndragon said:

Well said Who P and thank you for being able to read what was written by the OP and register their true intentions.
The UG hive mind that keeps bubbling to the surface around here is what keeps me away much of the time. People are allowed to have different view points, without having to be hammered repeatedly until they agree or go away just it will stop. 
Very poor form on a few around here.

It's an open forum. Unfortunately, reading comprehension isn't everyone's strong suit.

Having said that, more than a few folks did specifically answer the OP's questions -- basically, yes, there are more distasteful jokes, so do yourself a favor and stop watching -- in the beginning of this thread.

But apparently, true to his form of asking for advice and then not taking it, he kept watching anyway until there was another joke to offend him that he could bring up here to get even more attention, which he then took as ridicule -- and maybe one or two comments were of that nature but certainly not a whole hive.

You're not despised, @Thoughts_Arrive . If you were, people wouldn't keep trying to help you. You're just annoying at times. So am I. So is everyone who has posted in this thread. Some especially so. But we're all in this thing together. We all have to live with ourselves and each other if we so choose. If we can change the traits about us that lead to continued conflict without losing too much ourselves along the way, then that's part of the journey. If we can't, then tolerance is also part of the journey. 

YOU'RE part of the journey.

As long as DK is not the destination, I'm okay with that .