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'Ted 2' dogged by claims of racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia

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A

aygomyownroad

Member
I went to the cinema to see the first. I sat in the car after and turned to my partner and said "I think I'm officially old... That was the funniest film I've ever seen"

I won't be watching this one. But it's Seth McFarlane. Anyone who watched family guy knows what the jokes are like. They are there to shock... Even if they miss the mark...
 
B

birthday-suit

Banned
Pimpwerx said:
It's a comedy. It's allowed to be offensive. If we start censoring humor, I don't want to live in this world. PEACE.

Edit: Reading this thread is painful. None of you are funny. You can breakdown the science of joke telling and punchlines all you want, but real comedians know that on the road to being funny, you're gonna offend. It's part and parcel of the whole process. The critiques of decent comedic writing by unfunny, pretentious amateurs is embarrassing.

I'm sorry, but it's real easy to criticize, but I'm not seeing any of you writing something better. I'm not a huge fan of Seth, but he and his writers do a decent job generating comedic scripts that reach a broad audience. Everyone isn't supposed to get every joke. They have broad appeal though.

And I didn't like Ted, and don't plan on watching the sequel.
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Nah his stuff is generally unfunny.

With gags that go on too long

I don't care if comedy offends

Its weird how people want to set a barometer...like you can make fun of this but not this

Or Its Ok to make fun of individuals but not groups

Its just wordswordswords....I don't like it so you shouldn't do it basically
 
I

Ivan 3414

Member
...Scatter... said:
Was "White Chicks" racist?

Edit: Why yall ducking the question?
Click to expand...

In my opinion, no. The jokes were mostly based on men dressing as women and not at the expense of white women or white people in general.

Edit there was a kind of fucked up scene at the beginning of the movie about Mexican people though
 
S

Slayven

Member
Pimpwerx said:
It's a comedy. It's allowed to be offensive. If we start censoring humor, I don't want to live in this world. PEACE.

Edit: Reading this thread is painful. None of you are funny. You can breakdown the science of joke telling and punchlines all you want, but real comedians know that on the road to being funny, you're gonna offend. It's part and parcel of the whole process. The critiques of decent comedic writing by unfunny, pretentious amateurs is embarrassing.

I'm sorry, but it's real easy to criticize, but I'm not seeing any of you writing something better. I'm not a huge fan of Seth, but he and his writers do a decent job generating comedic scripts that reach a broad audience. Everyone isn't supposed to get every joke. They have broad appeal though.

And I didn't like Ted, and don't plan on watching the sequel.
Click to expand...

The ole "you do better", haven't seen that in a while. He is offering up a product for consumption, and that makes him invulnerable to criticism?
 
D

demented

Member
I loved it, friend hadn't seen first one thought he'll hate a movie with teddie bear and he also loved it and saw first one day after, whole movie theater was constantly laughing and it was a funny movie, but then again I don't live in a country with PC police.
 
H

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
...Scatter... said:
Was "White Chicks" racist?

Edit: Why yall ducking the question?
Click to expand...

I don't understand why White Chicks keeps coming up in these arguments.

Is there some group of people on earth that actually gives a shit about that movie?

Like, people are going to go, "oh you're right, White Chicks exists, I guess everything I'm saying about race and movies lacks perspective."

How the fuck is White Chicks a "gotcha!" in an argument?

Do you think there are actual humans who wouldn't throw White Chicks under a bus?

Here, watch:

Yes, White Chicks is racist.

Now what? Where is your argument?

Seriously, nobody on Earth except people trying to make questionable points in discussions about race in movies gives a SHIT about White Chicks.
 
D

deli2000

Member
demented said:
I loved it, friend hadn't seen first one thought he'll hate a movie with teddie bear and he also loved it and saw first one day after, whole movie theater was constantly laughing and it was a funny movie, but then again I don't live in a country with PC police.
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Nobody lives in a country with 'PC Police', get over yourself.
 
O

Oersted

Member
Htown said:
I don't understand why White Chicks keeps coming up in these arguments.

Is there some group of people on earth that actually gives a shit about that movie?

Like, people are going to go, "oh you're right, White Chicks exists, I guess everything I'm saying about race and movies lacks perspective."

How the fuck is White Chicks a "gotcha!" in an argument?

Do you think there are actual humans who wouldn't throw White Chicks under a bus?

Here, watch:

Yes, White Chicks is racist.

Now what? Where is your argument?

Seriously, nobody on Earth except people trying to make questionable points in discussions about race in movies gives a SHIT about White Chicks.
Click to expand...

It gives racists seemingly an excuse to enjoy racism.
 
C

Currygan

at last, for christ's sake
Pimpwerx said:
It's a comedy. It's allowed to be offensive. If we start censoring humor, I don't want to live in this world. PEACE.

Edit: Reading this thread is painful. None of you are funny. You can breakdown the science of joke telling and punchlines all you want, but real comedians know that on the road to being funny, you're gonna offend. It's part and parcel of the whole process. The critiques of decent comedic writing by unfunny, pretentious amateurs is embarrassing.

I'm sorry, but it's real easy to criticize, but I'm not seeing any of you writing something better. I'm not a huge fan of Seth, but he and his writers do a decent job generating comedic scripts that reach a broad audience. Everyone isn't supposed to get every joke. They have broad appeal though.

And I didn't like Ted, and don't plan on watching the sequel.
Click to expand...


people have every right to criticize a product, and they're not required to make a better one just to get said right. This is one of the oldest, stupidest, most childish and overall annoying arguments one could make about the matter
 
S

Simpsonology

Neo Member
Kinsei said:
No not everything can be joked about. Transphoic shit isn't the only thing either.
Click to expand...

Kinsei said:
A joke about a drug addict is nowhere near the same level as telling a group of people with a 41% attempted suicide rate that they're wrong and reaffirming the views of the society that drove them to attempt it in the first place.

No I won't let people laugh at whatever they want without calling them on their shit if it's offensive.
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So who is going to make a list of what we can joke about? You? You won't LET people laugh at whatever they want? This is the problem with today's world, people's personal feelings and personal beliefs as individual make them think everyone should adjust to them, like they are the only person in the world. Sorry but I don't think anyone is going to ask permission from you, me or any other individual on what people can laugh about.

Kain said:
No? Where is this so called limit? You impose the limit based on your life experience or beliefs? Is there a code or something?

Again: thin-skin and lack of sense of humor. Try laughing at yourself and your problems, no matter how bad they seem to you, it feels good.
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I agree.

BarryWake said:
Ugh, I knew that Ted 2 would be a failure. Dudes defending this movies because it's not offensive for them have to realize that they're not the only beings on this planet.
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And the dudes attacking this movie need to realize they are also not the only beings on this planet. If someone is offended, the movie is obviously not targeted at them, and they can watch 1000 other movies that suits them. It's like homophobe complaining about gay couple in Modern Family. Just don't watch it if it "offends" you.

Htown said:
I don't understand why White Chicks keeps coming up in these arguments.

Is there some group of people on earth that actually gives a shit about that movie?

Like, people are going to go, "oh you're right, White Chicks exists, I guess everything I'm saying about race and movies lacks perspective."

How the fuck is White Chicks a "gotcha!" in an argument?

Do you think there are actual humans who wouldn't throw White Chicks under a bus?

Here, watch:

Yes, White Chicks is racist.

Now what? Where is your argument?

Seriously, nobody on Earth except people trying to make questionable points in discussions about race in movies gives a SHIT about White Chicks.
Click to expand...

Same could be applied to Ted. It is just another raunchy type of movie, some will like it, some won't, and should not be used in any argument on discussing race.
 
C

cntr

Banned
Simpsonology said:
So who is going to make a list of what we can joke about? You? You won't LET people laugh at whatever they want? This is the problem with today's world, people's personal feelings and personal beliefs as individual make them think everyone should adjust to them, like they are the only person in the world. Sorry but I don't think anyone is going to ask permission from you, me or any other individual on what people can laugh about.
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You do know that trans people and such often have severe depression and shit, yes? Depression and social anxiety doesn't let you simply "adjust" to people telling you you're disgusting scum.

Sheesh. Jokes aren't specially protected from criticism because they're jokes, any more than any other speech is.
 
F

FLAguy954

Junior Member
Slayven said:
Problem with Seth is he has shown no growth as writer or comedian. See 6 eps of Family Guy and you have seen the guy's whole range, twice. Who ever took over on American Dad is a genius though
Click to expand...

This. Seth's works become stale and annoying quite quickly.

South Park (a much better show based in satire) was justified in calling them out.

latest
 
G

Gotdatmoney

Member
cntrational said:
You do know that trans people and such often have severe depression and shit, yes? Depression and social anxiety doesn't let you simply "adjust" to people telling you you're disgusting scum.

Sheesh. Jokes aren't specially protected from criticism because they're jokes, any more than any other speech is.
Click to expand...

Jokes should not be protected from criticism if the joke itself isn't composed of any actual merit. But his argument wasnt that they are exempt from criticism, his argument was that no one can put a label on what is and isn't allowed to be joked about. He's not wrong, when it comes to comedy the limit is whatevet the comedian can get away with.
 
C

cntr

Banned
Gotdatmoney said:
Jokes should not be protected from criticism if the joke itself isn't composed of any actual merit. But his argument wasnt that they are exempt from criticism, his argument was that no one can put a label on what is and isn't allowed to be joked about. He's not wrong, when it comes to comedy the limit is whatevet the comedian can get away with.
Click to expand...
And few people here are arguing that. Jokes shouldn't be given a blanket ban, but they shouldn't be given blanket freedom. Again, use your brain and see if a joke works and is okay, instead excusing it solely because it's a joke.
 
S

Sianos

Member
cntrational said:
When a joke boils down to "Haha, X exists!", the implication is that the object or situatino is strange or deviant or wrong in some way. If I walked into my room and a potato was on it, the joke is that it's unexpected to have a potato on your bed.

That's why most of the jokes here are awful. They're all in the vein of "Haha, black people exist!", or "Haha, trans people exist!". That is, black people and trans people are strange things that you don't expect to find in "real life". And that's why successful offensive jokes rarely rely on this format.
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Exactly.

Beyond the subject matter being handled distastefully, when you disregard the "shock value" there's just... no joke there. Its the laziest kind of humor possible.
 
G

Gotdatmoney

Member
cntrational said:
And few people here are arguing that. Jokes shouldn't be given a blanket ban, but they shouldn't be given blanket freedom. Again, use your brain and see if a joke works and is okay, instead excusing it solely because it's a joke.
Click to expand...

The issue is that comedy doesn't have a formula where the comedian can decide what will and will not push the envelope too far. The only way to know is for them to try. Their job is entirely dependent on then trying. They deserve criticism for getting it wrong on a big stage but like I said, the post he specifically was commenting on said there are things that can not be joked about. That is a wrong statement plain and simple.

Like I said, jokes are not free from criticism because they are jokes. But if you seriously wanna spew "use your brain", as though comedy is something that is universally funny or unfunny I can't help you. There are funny jokes about race, their are funny jokes about sex. There is a funny joke about anything or satire about anything and the point is that comedians are challenged to find it.

That is an entirely different point from whether I think stuff in Ted 2 is funny or acceptable. But the argument of "use your brain and see if it works" is fucking vapid. The only way you know if it works is if you test it.
 
C

cntr

Banned
Gotdatmoney said:
Like I said, jokes are not free from criticism because they are jokes. But if you seriously wanna spew "use your brain", as though comedy is something that is universally funny or unfunny I can't help you. There are funny jokes about race, their are funny jokes about sex. There is a funny joke about anything or satire about anything and the point is that comedians are challenged to find it.

That is an entirely different point from whether I think stuff in Ted 2 is funny or acceptable. But the argument of "use your brain and see if it works" is fucking vapid. The only way you know if it works is if you test it.
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No, of course jokes aren't universal. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't think about and have opinions on them.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Slayven said:
A clip defending Anthony Cumia? Bwahahahahahaha

If a PC culture world means never having violent racists like Anthony Cumia, it can't be all bad, can it?
Click to expand...

Patrice would agree with you. He would always admit both to Opie and Anthony that they were both racists.

He loved both, though, admittedly.
 
F

FafaFooey

Member
Loved the first one, can't wait to see the sequel! Amazing how people still think them being offended gives them the right to censor comedy.
 
D

deli2000

Member
FafaFooey said:
Loved the first one, can't wait to see the sequel! Amazing how people still think them being offended gives them the right to censor comedy.
Click to expand...

Amazing how people will read a 10 page thread and still post this shit after it's been refuted about a dozen times.
 
G

Gotdatmoney

Member
cntrational said:
No, of course jokes aren't universal. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't think about and have opinions on them.
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That wasn't the argument he was making. You said some shit should not be joked about, he said that is untrue. Anything can be joked about. That was the issue I take with what I quoted you for.

There are shitty jokes and good jokes (relatively speaking) but comedians are not trying to tell bad jokes inherently. I personally dont think "haha she has a penis" is an actual joke more than just shock value (regardless of whether or not it ellicits a laugh from me or not). I think it's a matter of do better when its a crutch for comedy. But that still doesn't mean I dont think you can have a well crafted joke about, race, or gender identity, or height or tragedy or anything else.

I also dont think that well crafted humor is necessarily always funny or taken in the correct fashion. Chris rock did an interview about it where it's getting harder for comedians to have a safe place to try material on people now that we have social media and a few tweets can just cripple someone. People took it as him saying "Oh PC police ruin everything" as opposed to him saying "our job is to walk the line but we are not going to be perfect at it. We need safe places to try it out and figure out what works and what doesn't". That is what I am mainly saying when I say nothing is off limits. Delivery has to be there but if no one tries it there is no ground to be made.
 
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