Stereotypes and Jokes

Read the following short article and then leave a comment that expresses your thoughts on the matter.

Stereotypical jokes: Humorous or offensive?
By MICHELE DIGIACINTO
Collegian Staff Writer

A black guy, a Polish guy and an Irish guy are on a roof. Which one falls off first?The Irish guy, because the Polish guy has to stop and ask directions and the black guy has to spray paint his name on the wall first.


Name a group of people -- women, Italians, blondes or Puerto Ricans -- and there is probably a joke about them based on stereotypes.


Since the stereotypes have been around for a long time and are well-known, the punchlines of these jokes are always predictable. The punchline about a Jewish person will undoubtedly be about money and the punchline about a Polish person is always about stupidity.


But are these jokes offensive or humorous?


Some students said jokes targeting specific groups are in good humor and should not be taken seriously.


"People should loosen up," said Gary Grega (junior-business logistics).


Grega said that although it is wrong to point to disabled people and laugh at them, nothing is wrong with telling jokes about their conditions.


"I don't think there's anything wrong for busting on someone's race or religion. If something's funny, no matter what it's about, I'll laugh," he said.


Penn State University Veterans Organization President Pat Scanlan said people should not be offended by jokes, adding that if he was offended by every joke and comment made about him at the University, he would be filing many lawsuits.


"I was brought up that sticks and stones would break my bones but names will never hurt me," he said.


Jeff Feinblatt (junior-exercise and sport science) also said jokes poking fun at people should not be taken seriously. Feinblatt said some people are offended too easily, although other people take jokes too far.


"It's a delicate balance between what's okay and what's not," he said.


And other students said that although stereotypical jokes are offensive, it sometimes depends on the situation.


Some jokes are really offensive, said Anne Picariello (junior-marketing), but they are OK if they are told among friends and they are not malicious.


Certain jokes offend Picariello more than others, especially jokes about black people. Stereotypes about the black community are more harmful because they are labeled as thieves and gangsters, she added.


"I hate jokes about blacks because some are so nasty and people think they are so funny and I don't understand why," she said. "I hate the word 'nigger' and I say don't say the word when I'm around. If you want to say it when I'm not around that's fine, but not when I'm around."


Picariello's friend Stacey Werner (freshman-psychology) agreed that it depends on how and where the joke is told. Both said people assume they can tell them racist jokes because they are white.


But Werner said she does not like any jokes that stereotype.


"They're all ignorant and they're all wrong," Werner said.


James Hickey (sophomore-international business) said he has also been told racist jokes by people -- including his grandparents -- because he is white.


"I tend to give (my grandparents) leeway. I expect people our age and of our generation to be a little bit more intelligent than that," he said.


But some people find stereotypical jokes offensive regardless of the context or the situation.


Thomas Poole, professor of religious studies and African and African-American studies, said if people are offended by the joke then it is inherently offensive. He added that those in the majority, like himself, should also be offended.


Poole said people outside the University have told him racist jokes because he is white, but his response is very different from what they expected.


"I tell them that's just not a very funny joke as far as I'm concerned. That's offensive to me and others and that's inappropriate," he said.


Cinda Grippi (sophomore-exercise and sport science) said before she took a counselor education course, she was indifferent to stereotypical jokes. But after taking the class, Grippi said, she would confront anyone who told her an offensive joke.


Grippi said she also went to a program called "Let's Talk Racism," where several minority student leaders discussed race issues. Someone in the audience asked what she could do to combat racism, and one of the student leaders told her to confront people who make discriminatory comments.


"It never occurred to me to say something but I heard it right from (the minority student leaders)," she said. Grippi has confronted people since then.


Raheem Jarbo (freshman-health and human development) said he was E-mailed racist jokes last week from an unknown source and after he read a couple he trashed them. Jarbo said he tries to ignore racist jokes, and although jokes perpetuate stereotypes they are not the prime cause of racism.


"They could be harmful, but for the most part, they're already implanted in our minds," he said.


Ephraim Lopez, political co-director of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance, agreed that jokes perpetuate stereotypes but are not the sole cause.


"It's a big circle," he said.