Am I the only person depressed by the number of comments with gender or racial stereotypes in them?

[Peterm1000]

I wonder... am I alone in feeling there are too many comments that make generalisations about a particular group's ethnicity or gender and the forum mods should take stronger action? In the past 24 hours on the joke thread there's been a "joke" suggesting that women are better suited to a particular job and that black people speak a certain way and there have been plenty of others that have been removed. Those kind of comments are less prevalent elsewhere in the forum, but they do exist enough that I think if I were a black, female woodworker I might think this forum is not for me.

 

[Jacob]

I wonder... am I alone in feeling there are too many comments that make generalisations about a particular group's ethnicity or gender and the forum mods should take stronger action? In the past 24 hours on the joke thread there's been a "joke" suggesting that women are better suited to a particular job and that black people speak a certain way and there have been plenty of others that have been removed. Those kind of comments are less prevalent elsewhere in the forum, but they do exist enough that I think if I were a black, female woodworker I might think this forum is not for me.

You could be right. I stopped looking at the "jokes" - had a go but they are generally not very funny at all.

 

[danst96]

You could be right. I stopped looking at the "jokes" - had a go but they are generally not very funny at all.

+1 i don't read the jokes section at all. Maybe my humor is different.

 

[NickDReed]

Well now I HAVE to look at the joke thread!!

 

[Cheshirechappie]

In general, most 'jokes' are pretty tame these days. Some of the 'jokes' rattling around thirty and forty years ago would be regarded as beyond the pale these days.

Where do you draw the line? Stereotypes about different people are one of the common themes of humour. Do we ban southerners from making snarky remarks about northerners (and vice versa)? Mancs and Scousers? Townies and country people? Aussies and Kiwis?

Most of us have a fair idea when a joke stops being funny and starts being downright offensive, and we can ignore and move on. It's easy enough to not read the joke thread, and as the OP says, there doesn't seem to be a spill-over into the woodworking part of the forum, especially since the political discussions have now gone behind a screen, thank goodness.

Storm in a teacup, I reckon.

 

[Fitzroy]

I avoid most threads that are not woodworking related, on the threads I frequent I've not picked up on this issue. I fully support strong moderation around language that puts people down based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or age.

 

[artie]

There's a clue in the title. "Joke thread"

Not to be taken seriously..

BTW I can't recall ever viewing it

I discovered years there are only two jokes,

 

[Rorschach]

I don't look at the Joke thread, I suspect it's all boomer humour.

 

[D_W]

I just read most of it. It looks pretty tame to me.

 

[Peterm1000]

In general, most 'jokes' are pretty tame these days. Some of the 'jokes' rattling around thirty and forty years ago would be regarded as beyond the pale these days.

Where do you draw the line? Stereotypes about different people are one of the common themes of humour. Do we ban southerners from making snarky remarks about northerners (and vice versa)? Mancs and Scousers? Townies and country people? Aussies and Kiwis?

Most of us have a fair idea when a joke stops being funny and starts being downright offensive, and we can ignore and move on. It's easy enough to not read the joke thread, and as the OP says, there doesn't seem to be a spill-over into the woodworking part of the forum, especially since the political discussions have now gone behind a screen, thank goodness.

Storm in a teacup, I reckon.

I've lived all over the country and in various countries in the world. People do now seem to be better travelled and more exposed to other cultures than they were 30 or 40 years ago. In my experience, those regional stereotypes don't hold true. I think it's a good thing some of those very offensive comments from 30 or 40 years ago have gone to the grave.

I suspect it's easier to ignore and move on if you, your family or friends aren't the butt of the joke.

The language is mostly in the joke forum, but it's not only there. The Brexit and Covid threads have also lead to various derogatory comments being made about the people of other countries - less about the colour of their skin, but about their stereotypical national characteristics.

 

[Peterm1000]

I just read most of it. It looks pretty tame to me.

It is now - because the mods do a very good job of removing the truly offensive content. But I'm depressed to see it keep coming back because it tells me this community has a significant number of people who think that jokes or generalisations based on the colour of someone's skin or they country they live in are OK.

 

[thetyreman]

the less politically correct and offensive, the more I like it, we are being controlled by 'woke' people, it really annoys me how easily people are offended thesedays, it's also getting worse and making me be more offensive deliberately with jokes especially.

 

[Linus]

I wonder... am I alone in feeling there are too many comments that make generalisations about a particular group's ethnicity or gender and the forum mods should take stronger action? In the past 24 hours on the joke thread there's been a "joke" suggesting that women are better suited to a particular job and that black people speak a certain way and there have been plenty of others that have been removed. Those kind of comments are less prevalent elsewhere in the forum, but they do exist enough that I think if I were a black, female woodworker I might think this forum is not for me.

I would probably say yes.

 

[Gordon Tarling]

Yes, I saw the joke to which I think you refer and was slightly taken aback that it had even been posted. Perhaps it hadn't been seen by the mods at that time? Agreed 100% that there should be no place for humour like that to be posted here in this day and age.

Gordon

 

[Jacob]

the less politically correct and offensive, the more I like it, we are being controlled by 'woke' people, it really annoys me how easily people are offended thesedays, it's also getting worse and making me be more offensive deliberately with jokes especially.

It's not about being personally offended oneself it's about consideration for other people who genuinely can be hurt and/or offended. You know the what and whom, as well as I do. Yes people are waking up and about time too!

 

[D_W]

It is now - because the mods do a very good job of removing the truly offensive content. But I'm depressed to see it keep coming back because it tells me this community has a significant number of people who think that jokes or generalisations based on the colour of someone's skin or they country they live in are OK.

I missed the bad stuff. I guess we all react different ways and I suppose it also hinges on depressed. I've had depression before, but jokes don't trigger it. I'd probably move on if it irritated me, but that's not to say that certain jokes wouldn't. I belong to an agricultural forum in the US (we sold our farm this year, all of us long away from it). It's turned into a racist closed forum, and all I can muster up is going there once in a while and posting "I can't stick around here with the racist garbage...too bad".

Guess what I'm saying is, I moved on from it. After a couple of bouts of mid-life depression, I realized that there's a fairly large swath of the "real world" that I don't need to be exposed to, which includes liars and bigots.

 

[Garno]

It's not about being personally offended oneself it's about consideration for other people who genuinely can be hurt and/or offended. You know the what and whom, as well as I do. Yes people are waking up and about time too!

Jacob Jacob Jacob

Over the last few years I recall many posts from yourself that showed zero consideration for other peoples feelings.

I know that I have also contributed my share of suchlike posts but when it has become apparent that I have hurt peoples feelings I have usually ended up apologising (not on every post but the majority) and not wait for a ban like some do.

The consideration bat works both ways, people constantly ramming "WOKE" agendas down my throat IS something I find highly offensive yet those who endorse them deem it as being OK to do. It really is not OK to do but the "WOKE" brigade are not one bit concerned that they are being all righteous condescending racist bigots.

I take offence at people who try to belittle our wonderful nation, I think it is hurtful when people try to rewrite the history of this fantastic country, I abhor racism of any kind yet find that due to "WOKISM" I have to listen daily to the so called white privilege in this country. I have the EXACT same entitlements in this FREE country of ours that any other legal person has be they white green purple black brown or yellow and it is for that very reason I feel highly offended when the "WOKE" brigade start demanding that I apologise for things that happened hundreds of years ago.

The "WOKISM" is fuelling racism by their actions it may not be intentional but does not mean it is not happening, who will they blame when the powder keg finally blows up?. Hopefully Jacob you are right and people do actually start to wake up and see the harm that is being done with the stupid demands. Just look at all of the so called sexes There are many different gender identities, including male, female, transgender, gender neutral, non-binary, agender, pangender, genderqueer, two-spirit, third gender, and all, none or a combination of these, I would hate to be the registrar filling out the birth certificate.

"WOKISM" does not end there they want to insult, offend and hurt me more as they do not want me to call my children son or daughter, they want the words male, female removed from existence as well as boy & girl, sadly it is a slippery slope and we are right at the top of it. Not once have I been asked what my views are instead the "WOKE" brigade can tell me that my views do not matter as they would be wrong, in fact they do not tell me I am wrong they shout that I am wrong, then they shout some more and smash up a few things whilst still shouting at me I am wrong, I feel hurt by that as it insults my intelligence and it will also be insulting the intelligence of the majority of people in this amazing nation we all live in and if someone brings it up we then get accused of being insensitive and not taking others into account that may be hurt.

I am not going to say any more on this thread as I have covered the points I wanted to, it is each to there own and peoples views differ, the above are my views and as such Jacob I am totally sure you will not try and ram over and over again your opposing views down my throat especially now that you are aware that I do feel hurt, offended and insulted by anything "WOKE"

 

[Jacob]

Jacob Jacob Jacob

Over the last few years I recall many posts from yourself that showed zero consideration for other peoples feelings.
......

I'm always slightly mystified by this - could you point me to one?
Also I'm not sure what the expression "WOKE" is all about - it seems to emanate from the Daily Mail neck of the woods, means something to them but nothing to me.

 

[Peterm1000]

Just to be clear, I am not talking about anything "woke" (which I think is a pretty dumb word by the way!). I am talking about what my grandfather would have described as "good manners". The jokes and comments I am talking about are not as borderline as Garno is suggesting (though Garno, you do seem to know a lot about gender identity! ). They are comments that if they were made directly to one of the people being discussed would be seen as extremely rude.

There is a difference between a barbed comment made directly at an individual (and I have seen one or two from several members on that) and a comment made about an entire skin colour, race or gender (always women)

 

[RobinBHM]

There is a phoney culture war created by the right wing media.

It's a handy deflection......let's all be angry about statues then we won't notice the govt giving out billions on bogus contracts.