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[thepotatoman]

I don't get the "equal opportunity offender" defense at all. Are there really an equal number of jokes about straight white males being stereotypical straight white males? What type of jokes could even made like that which actually seems to take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation itself, instead of just the character itself, in the same way a lot of these jokes take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation of minorities?

White, straight and male is simply the default where basically no assumptions are made about you just from those two characteristics.

I'm a white male, so I never see myself in a situation where I could even be stereotyped for my race or gender. So when they make fun a hillbilly, it's not like I'd ever be able to see myself as being attacked because I'd never once be mistaken for a hillbilly. I'd have to prove my hillbilly-ness first before people start stereotyping me like that. I might be get equal oportunity hit when I'm stereotyped as a nerd, but that's only after they somehow learn that I'm a nerd. My race and gender has nothing to do with that.

So I guess I don't see how you can hit all races equally when it's practically impossible to actually hit white as a race. I suppose there's always the white men can't dance or jump stereotype, but there's no way to take that as far as these character defining stereotypes that is often put on minorities.

omg is this the new 'I have gay friends!' Just because you got drunk at a pride parade and maybe changed your profile pic to rainbow doesn't mean you can't have homophobic or transphobic tendencies.

"Movie X is stupid humor" isn't outrage. Changing that statement to "Movie X is stupid racist humor"? Still not outrage. Criticism of those statements as "outrage" at best completely misrepresenting the scope to make your argument easier.

It's seen as outrage, and people are bring up their black/gay friends, because they don't see the grey areas of racism or homophobia. It makes sense to think "stupid racist humor" is read as absolute outrage when you interpret that as being accused of hating black people, instead of simply accusing something of feeding into counterproductive stereotypes.

I think it's the duty of the comedian to find where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

It's true, you're not really accomplishing anything with your comedy if no one is pissed off at you. But what are these anti-PC comedians trying to accomplish? The ability to discuss topics that the public doesn't want to discuss, or the right to make fun of historically downtrodden groups as much as they want?

 

[K-BillyDJ]

America can no longer take a fucking joke.

Surprised no one (sorry if I missed it) has brought up his new show (meant to basically replace American Dad now that it is a TBS show) coming next year in this thread.
BorderTown which looks like a gaggle of cheap recycled laughs. It looks like hot shit and that's just me judging how they amazingly some how got much more worse animation quality than family guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjXjqC-1Kvg
You can say no on can take a joke or that we have taken a shit joke for far too long.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

America can no longer take a fucking joke.

Nah, our standards just got higher, and we're better off for it. There's so much fucking good comedy out there.

 

[Lazyslob]

seth mcfarlane is a bum. i like dark humor but the problem is anything he does usually isnt funny

 

[Vargas]

Is it wrong to laugh at parts of Eddie Murphys Raw and Delirious now? Would those be examples of punching down?

 

[Deleted member 325805]

Ted was hilarious and I expect Ted 2 to be as well.

 

[Jarate]

White people stereotypes are easy

Mayo
Bumper Stickers
Biking on the road and taking the entire lane up even though youre on a dirt bike on a 45 mph
Mixture of words to sound different like Frappucino
Rednecks and hillbillies
Surfers
Preps
Blue collar north eastern guys
Weird ones wanting to shoot up schools and people
Putting onions on everything
Hummus
Dancing awkwardly
Sleeping in the same bed as their dogs


I could go on and on, but there are definitely white people stereotypes exist because stereotypes exist in our culture.

In the grand scheme of things, I think showboating this film as some type of racist or sexist film is giving it way too much credit, its a shitty comedy film, and really not worth that much time attention. If the critics didnt find it funny, then thats all there is too it, and you can have many reasons for not finding something funny

Idk why people are in such a hubbub over a shitty film made my a person who makes shitty cartoon.

 

[23qwerty]

 

[Ridley327]

Is it wrong to laugh at parts of Eddie Murphys Raw and Delirious now? Would those be examples of punching down?

I don't think there's anything wrong with laughing at Murphy's standup from that era, but I also don't think that you can reasonably hold up "it was a different time back then" to defend his use of homophobia as a punchline. It was as icky then as it would be now. You're not a worse person for laughing at those jokes, and I did bring up the French Mistake scene in Blazing Saddles as something that wouldn't fly at all today and I still laugh my ass off at that scene in its entirety, but it is very much what it is.

 

[RustedPieces]

White people stereotypes are easy

Putting onions on everything

Not sure why, but when I read this one specifically, and more-so than anything else on your list, I was offended. Cracking up over here over it.

Agreeable list. As a white dude it's quite accurate. Never even thought about how most of the stuff on the list being white people exclusive.

 

[WrenchNinja]

Tacky.

 

[A Link to the Past]

I can't believe people are comparing Blazing Saddles to Ted 2. As though it stands to reason to compare for even a second Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks to Seth McFarlane.

no

This is really pathetic and shortsighted, wow

 

[RustedPieces]

Gotta make that money.

 

[megamerican]

I've always seen most of Seth MacFarlane's lower-brow comedy (like many of the jokes he and his writers come up with on Family Guy) as poking fun at how truly offensive and insensitive various societies used to be during different periods. "Look at how awful our commentary about <ISSUE X> used to be, let's laugh at it". The rest of his comedy is either purposefully absurd, like pointless non sequiturs, or just shit that is funny to people who grew up during or near the 1980's.

I think many people these days go out of their way to be offended, and dissect comedy far, far too much.

Yeah I've always thought a lot of Seth's controversial stuff targets the ignorance about the issue as much as it does the issue itself. Given McFarlane's outspoken politics, I'm inclined to believe that.

As somewhat of a fan, this is incredibly lame.

 

[kirblar]

Isn't Brian on Family Guy basically a stand-in for Seth at this point?

 

[MHWilliams]

Is it wrong to laugh at parts of Eddie Murphys Raw and Delirious now? Would those be examples of punching down?

I've watched a lot of old 80's movies and comedy recently. The important thing is that the ideas found in those works reflect a different time and set of assumptions. If Eddie Murphy came out and did those same sets today, yeah, I'd have a problem.

So I guess I don't see how you can hit all races equally when it's practically impossible to actually hit white as a race. I suppose there's always the white men can't dance or jump stereotype, but there's no way to take that as far as these character defining stereotypes that is often put on minorities.

There are a number of "white" stereotypes, usually tied with the ignorance of affluence. Which honestly isn't quite fair to white people. On the other end, rednecks.

In the grand scheme of things, I think showboating this film as some type of racist or sexist film is giving it way too much credit, its a shitty comedy film, and really not worth that much time attention. If the critics didnt find it funny, then thats all there is too it, and you can have many reasons for not finding something funny

Idk why people are in such a hubbub over a shitty film made my a person who makes shitty cartoon.

They aren't in a hubbub. They are paid to write reviews. They did. That's not a hubbub. That's not outrage.

 

[Jarate]

I can't believe people are comparing Blazing Saddles to Ted 2. As though it stands to reason to compare for even a second Richard Pryor and Mel Brooks to Seth McFarlane.

The point isnt too compare how good at comedy they are but what type of comedy they project

Being funny doesnt suddenly make everything ok because theres no objective standard as too what funny is. At the same time, its important for an artist too not be bound by some arbitrary "line" that people put up. There can be jokes that are not funny, horribly racist, and horribly sexist, just like there can be some jokes that can be funny and all those things. I dont like setting arbitrary lines in the sand that we can let certain people go through because they are "funny" when being funny means entirely different things too different people. People found jeff dunham hilarious, is he suddenly funny, not too me personally, and his jokes are quite offensive to muslims, but honestly, hes just a dude trying to make people laugh.

They aren't in a hubbub. They are paid to write reviews. They did. That's not a hubbub. That's not outrage.

the hubbub is this thread, the critics are allowed to say what they want, and of those were things they didnt personally like then whatever, but why is it such a big deal that these critics exist, and why is it such a big deal that we need to sit here and complain about people disagreeing with critics.

 

[Bear]

White people stereotypes are easy

Putting onions on everything
Hummus

Hey man, those are our stereotypes. White people can't take that away from us!

 

[Dr. Buni]

America can no longer take a fucking joke.

Jokes are fine, as long as those "jokes" are NOT making fun of people's appearances, beliefs, sexual preferences, gender, nationalities, etc.

"Black humor" is absolutely disgusting.

 

[ugly]

ITT: People commenting on a movie they haven't seen, due to an opinion of someone else. You don't even know if you agree with them. Are you people serious?

Think about that... reactions to reactions to a movie they haven't seen. You're as lazy as the writing you didn't hesitate to comment on.

Can't believe I didn't even think of this! Damn, it is easy to get sucked in to the hype. Thank you Druz

 

[MHWilliams]

the hubbub is this thread, the critics are allowed to say what they want, and of those were things they didnt personally like then whatever, but why is it such a big deal that these critics exist, and why is it such a big deal that we need to sit here and complain about people disagreeing with critics.

Oh, then we're mostly in agreement.

 

[Seesaw15]

Another scene drawing scorn is one in which Wahlberg gets doused in the rejected semen of men with sickle-cell anemia (a disease affecting predominately black men) at a sperm bank, after which Ted jokes: “You’re covered in rejected black guys’ sperm. You’re like a Kardashian!”

Geez, I bet half the people that are getting up in arms about the Roots joke haven't even watched the original miniseries. The my name is Kunta Kinte scene is such an ingrained part of pop culture that it's been parodied for comedic effect long before MacFarlane. I haven't seen Ted 2 but I've watched enough of MacFarlane's work to know that the movie will be bad not because its Birth of a Nation 2 but because its poorly written and structured.

Weren't we just championing the Interview with all its racist Korean caricatures a few months ago?

 

[captainnapalm]

I don't get the "equal opportunity offender" defense at all. Are there really an equal number of jokes about straight white males being stereotypical straight white males? What type of jokes could even made like that which actually seems to take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation itself, instead of just the character itself, in the same way a lot of these jokes take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation of minorities?

White, straight and male is simply the default where basically no assumptions are made about you just from those two characteristics.

I'm a white male, so I never see myself in a situation where I could even be stereotyped for my race or gender. So when they make fun a hillbilly, it's not like I'd ever be able to see myself as being attacked because I'd never once be mistaken for a hillbilly. I'd have to prove my hillbilly-ness first before people start stereotyping me like that. I might be get equal oportunity hit when I'm stereotyped as a nerd, but that's only after they somehow learn that I'm a nerd. My race and gender has nothing to do with that.

So I guess I don't see how you can hit all races equally when it's practically impossible to actually hit white as a race. I suppose there's always the white men can't dance or jump stereotype, but there's no way to take that as far as these character defining stereotypes that is often put on minorities.

Probably 95% of the jokes on Family Guy are aimed at white people. It's main target is basically white America and its foibles, the white guy and his typical family unit and their culture and politics and social norms and hangups and beliefs and whatever else. It's literally what the show's about. As a result, there are loads of straight white people who get offended by Family Guy.

 

[ugly]

Weren't we just championing the Interview with all its racist Korean caricatures a few months ago?

Now that film made me squirm to watch. Mainly because I know so little about NK, and the thought that others might know as little as I do about NK, and subconsciously take The Interview as default knowledge is fucked up.

 

[Gleethor]

I get the feeling that a lot of people seem to think that Macfarlene's characters are 100% supposed to be his mouthpieces. This is said of Brian all the time, despite the fact that Brian's views on FG are torn down and made fun of on that show all the fucking time, just like everyone else's. Most of the time when Ted/an FG character says something racist/homophobic/etc, the joke isn't supposed to be "haha, racism is hilariious", its supposed to be us facepalming at how out of touch and clueless this fictional character is and (maybe) laughing at the absurdity of it. Case in point is the Roots scene; Ted says "I'm just like them!" and Mark Wahlberg's character tells him that that's a ridiculous thing to say. The joke isn't trivializing slavery, its pointing out the absurdity of Ted comparing his struggle to it, something that you might hear a really ignorant person do in real life.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

.... classy.

 

[Battersea Power Station]

"Black humor" is absolutely disgusting.

Dude, not everyone likes Tyler Perry but you still have to respect the guy. No need to disparage his success.

 

[ExplodingKetchup]

Is the implication that by seeing the movie, he's now a homophobe?

Well, no. I mean, supporting people who benefit at the expense of queer people is kind of shitty.

I just hate that people use those kinds of 'excuses' to say that they can't be homophobic or transphobic. Many of those tendencies manifest outside of explicit action, instead showing up in media and in joke culture.

 

[16BitNova]

This is a comedy correct? Jesus fuck I can't stand how sensitive the world has become. Can we just go back to the 90's please?

 

[Seesaw15]

To be fair that wasn't his first statues update after the announcement....

Tacky as it may be he's a comedian trying out material in front of an audience.

 

[Piano]

Boo.

 

[RockTurtle]

Jokes are fine, as long as those "jokes" are NOT making fun of people's appearances, beliefs, sexual preferences, gender, nationalities, etc.

"Black humor" is absolutely disgusting.

*Knock Knock*

 

[enigmatic_alex44]

Not sure why Ted needed a sequel but this one sounds disgusting, giving Ted 2 a hard pass.

Now the question is, what do I do with my blu-ray copy of Ted 1?

-Give it to a friend?
-Sell it on ebay?
-Donate it to charity?
-Or just toss it in the trash?

 

[...Scatter...]

I don't get the "equal opportunity offender" defense at all. Are there really an equal number of jokes about straight white males being stereotypical straight white males? What type of jokes could even made like that which actually seems to take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation itself, instead of just the character itself, in the same way a lot of these jokes take aim at the race, gender, and sexual orientation of minorities?

White, straight and male is simply the default where basically no assumptions are made about you just from those two characteristics.

I'm a white male, so I never see myself in a situation where I could even be stereotyped for my race or gender. So when they make fun a hillbilly, it's not like I'd ever be able to see myself as being attacked because I'd never once be mistaken for a hillbilly. I'd have to prove my hillbilly-ness first before people start stereotyping me like that. I might be get equal oportunity hit when I'm stereotyped as a nerd, but that's only after they somehow learn that I'm a nerd. My race and gender has nothing to do with that.

So I guess I don't see how you can hit all races equally when it's practically impossible to actually hit white as a race. I suppose there's always the white men can't dance or jump stereotype, but there's no way to take that as far as these character defining stereotypes that is often put on minorities.





It's seen as outrage, and people are bring up their black/gay friends, because they don't see the grey areas of racism or homophobia. It makes sense to think "stupid racist humor" is read as absolute outrage when you interpret that as being accused of hating black people, instead of simply accusing something of feeding into counterproductive stereotypes.



It's true, you're not really accomplishing anything with your comedy if no one is pissed off at you. But what are these anti-PC comedians trying to accomplish? The ability to discuss topics that the public doesn't want to discuss, or the right to make fun of historically downtrodden groups as much as they want?

You obviously have never watched any black standup comedian perform for the last 40 years. "White people be like..(insert corny voice with uptight walk).

 

[badrang]

This is a comedy correct? Jesus fuck I can't stand how sensitive the world has become. Can we just go back to the 90's please?

ew, no

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

smh

proving Bill Maher point every time...

Kardashian/black guy jokes are racist now?? LMAO

 

[gurudyne]

Tacky as it may be he's a comedian trying out material in front of an audience.

If that's true, he should have run that by someone first. Anyone could have told him what a bad idea it was. Reminds me of that awful Rebel Heart Twitter ad campaign by Madonna.

 

[old manatee]

This is a comedy correct? Jesus fuck I can't stand how sensitive the world has become. Can we just go back to the 90's please?

Yeah, lets go back to the 90's. Let's go back to before we had a black president and gay people couldn't marry, but we could make fun of those groups with more freedom in popular movies. What a great time.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I get the feeling that a lot of people seem to think that Macfarlene's characters are 100% supposed to be his mouthpieces. This is said of Brian all the time, despite the fact that Brian's views on FG are torn down and made fun of on that show all the fucking time, just like everyone else's. Most of the time when Ted/an FG character says something racist/homophobic/etc, the joke isn't supposed to be "haha, racism is hilariious", its supposed to be us facepalming at how out of touch and clueless this fictional character is and (maybe) laughing at the absurdity of it. Case in point is the Roots scene; Ted says "I'm just like them!" and Mark Wahlberg's character tells him that that's a ridiculous thing to say. The joke isn't trivializing slavery, its pointing out the absurdity of Ted comparing his struggle to it, something that you might hear a really ignorant person do in real life.

Basically this. Morgan Freeman tells them he won't take up Ted's case because he and Marky Mark are shitty people.

To also be fair, I still think Ted 2 wasn't very good.

 

[Brakke]

Weren't we just championing the Interview with all its racist Korean caricatures a few months ago?

check your "we"s, pls.

 

[Slayven]

smh

proving Bill Maher point every time...

Kardashian/black guy jokes are racist now?? LMAO

they kinda are, they are pretty much "they sleep with black guys hahahahaha" like it is abhorrent.

 

[A Link to the Past]

This is a comedy correct? Jesus fuck I can't stand how sensitive the world has become. Can we just go back to the 90's please?

"I have this new comedy out it's called Birth of a Nation"

Obvious hyperbole, but if your argument amounts to "it's just a comedy", that's not only reductive to criticism, but to all comedy as well. The only thing cheaper than Seth McFarlane's humour is that defense.

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

they kinda are, they are pretty much "they sleep with black guys hahahahaha" like it is abhorrent.

just cuz you don't think a joke is funny doesn't automatically make it racist.

stop trivializing the word.

 

[Slayven]

just cuz you don't think a joke is funny doesn't automatically make it racist.

stop trivializing the word.

hahaha you are too cute. Comedians need to stop being lazy, they skip over how lame Ray J is, just to go for black dudes be like " bebop a bip".

 

[unpopularblargh]

The people comparing Seth McFarlane to Blazing Saddles or Geroge Carlin clearly do not get why the latter two are considered good. No, it's not just because they're "offensive".

 

[Seesaw15]

check your "we"s, pls.

Sorry, I guess I meant the royal "we". But if I remember correctly a majority of Gaf was supporting the film due to all the freedom of speech issues surrounding its release.

 

[MHWilliams]

just cuz you don't think a joke is funny doesn't automatically make it racist.

stop trivializing the word.

Let me repeat:

A joke can fail. And many times, when a joke fails, it reinforces whatever subject it's about. If you fail in a joke about race... your failure will probably come across as racist. That's why we laud great comedians.

Seeing as this is a joke about race, if Slayven feels it's failed, he certainly could call it racist. That's logical. Whereas the premise of your statement - "just cuz you don't think a joke is funny doesn't automatically make it racist." - has little to do with anything Slayven said.

Sorry, I guess I meant the royal "we". But if I remember correctly a majority of Gaf was supporting the film due to all the freedom of speech issues surrounding its release.

Supporting its release does not also mean you believe it's a quality film.

 

[zychi]

Not sure why Ted needed a sequel but this one sounds disgusting, giving Ted 2 a hard pass.

Now the question is, what do I do with my blu-ray copy of Ted 1?

-Give it to a friend?
-Sell it on ebay?
-Donate it to charity?
-Or just toss it in the trash?

Who cares? Seth already got your money? Weird to buy, keep and own a movie and then be so anti it after a sequel comes out

 

[~Devil Trigger~]

hahaha you are too cute. Comedians need to stop being lazy, they skip over how lame Ray J is, just to go for black dudes be like " bebop a bip".

whats your point, Kim K sex joke have to only involve Ray J now? I don't get it. Its topical humor; Pic Something in pop culture and make a joke about it, nothing is more pop than KimK, is that concept new to you? The joke was about Kim more then anything

Let me repeat:


Seeing as this is a joke about race, if Slayven feels it's failed, he certainly could call it racist. That's logical. Whereas the premise of your statement - "just cuz you don't think a joke is funny doesn't automatically make it racist." - has little to do with anything Slayven said.



Supporting its release does not also mean you believe it's a quality film.

first, with all due respect that is the most ridiculous and regressive logic to humor ive read in a while. If the 1000s of failed race based and sex jokes I've heard from all kinds of comedians are somehow confirmation or suspicion of said comedian's "hidden agenda"? c'mon dude.

 

[enigmatic_alex44]

Who cares? Seth already got your money? Weird to buy, keep and own a movie and then be so anti it after a sequel comes out

LOL calm down.

I bought the first one based on reviews and word of mouth and it was ok. I no longer buy films unless I've seen them in the theater first unless it's from Ghibli/Pixar. Ted 2 just sounds like it's gone DOWN in quality and UP in terms of crass humor compared to the first film. Like Ted 1 is probably comparable to earlier Family Guy, and Ted 2 sounds a lot like the trash that is today's Family Guy.

Dismissed