Sol: Ethnic Jokes are not funny

From
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=14087


Why ethnic jokes are not funny
Michael Mullins June 01, 2009

Sol Trujillo's words to a BBC reporter last month were a not-so-gentle
reminder that multiculturalism in Australia is still a work in progress.

'My point is that [racism] does exist and it's got to change,' he said. 'If
there is a belief that only certain people are acceptable versus others,
that is a sad state.'

The former Telstra chief executive was responding in part to constant
references to his Mexican background that culminated in the Prime Minister's
'Adios' parting shot.

He was not slow to point out what he thought was wrong with Australia and
our ways.

He was fond of saying that our system of strong corporate regulation was
outmoded. This is debatable. We can in fact be proud of the fact that our
strict regulation has helped to insulate us from the worst effects of the
global economic recession. We can even say that it is one of the
characteristics that defines and unites us as a nation.

However it is more difficult to argue against his assertion that racism
remains in our society, and the implication that racism is one of our
national traits.

Because we lived so long with a policy of assimilation, our ingrained racism
takes more than a few decades to shake. Indeed we returned to it during the
Howard years. We need to see more public policy that definitively reasserts
the principles of multiculturalism. Instead our Prime Minister is caught out
making an ethnic jibe.

Australia's 'father of multiculturalism' Jerzy Zubrzycki died last month.
After the Cronulla riots in 2006, he wrote a paper for the Centre for Policy
Development in which he said the event was evidence that 'not all
Australians have been touched by the ideology of multiculturalism'.

He defined multiculturalism as 'a voluntary bond of dissimilar people
sharing a political and institutional structure'.

To make a joke about one of us is to weaken the bond that joins us. Such
jokes make one of us into an 'other'. Jokes disparage the difference that
multiculturalism celebrates.
It's not hard to tell if the ethnic joke is racist. We just need to look to
see if the person is spontaneously laughing. If this is the case, they are
sharing the joke, and their sense of being one of us - and not other - is
enhanced. The mockery is affectionate rather than dismissive. Sometimes they
will even tell a joke against their own ethnic group. They know that this
can help them to make connection and become one with us.

Sol Trujillo wasn't laughing.

With multiculturalism, there is no 'other'. In the words of the song that is
sometimes unfairly criticised as trite, 'We are one, but we are many ... I
am, you are, we are Australian.'

We may affirm multiculturalism, but continue to laugh dismissively at Irish
and other ethnic jokes. 'But they are funny,' we tell ourselves. The truth
is that they are funny to the extent that we are racist.

Alan Poxington wrote

> From
> http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=14087

> Why ethnic jokes are not funny

Why your ****ing over Telstra's govt relations are even less funny

> Michael Mullins June 01, 2009

> Sol Trujillo's words to a BBC reporter last month were a not-so-gentle
> reminder that multiculturalism in Australia is still a work in progress.

Only in your pathetic little pig ignorant fantasyland.

> 'My point is that [racism] does exist

As it does everywhere, ****wit.

> and it's got to change,' he said.

You get no say what so ever on that or anything else at all, ever.

> 'If there is a belief that only certain people are acceptable versus others, that is a sad state.'

Nope, we've choose not to accept terminal ****wits like you
that destroy anything you ever have anything to do with.

You get to like that or lump it, wogboy.

> The former Telstra chief executive was responding in part to constant references to his Mexican background that
> culminated in the Prime Minister's 'Adios' parting shot.

Aww, poor widdle diddums...

> He was not slow to point out what he thought was wrong with Australia and our ways.

And we have never been slow to run your nose in your complete ****ups.

> He was fond of saying that our system of strong corporate regulation was outmoded.

And was so stupid that he didnt even manage
to work that out before he applied for the job.

> This is debatable. We can in fact be proud of the fact that our strict regulation has helped to insulate us from the
> worst effects of the global economic recession. We can even say that it is one of the characteristics that defines and
> unites us as a nation.

And ****wit wogs get to like that or lump it.

> However it is more difficult to argue against his assertion that racism remains in our society,

Nope, the obvious point to make is that thats true of EVERY society, ****wit.

> and the implication that racism is one of our national traits.

If he doesnt like our history, no one is holding a gun to his
head and forcing him to come here and loot use for $35M

> Because we lived so long with a policy of assimilation, our ingrained racism takes more than a few decades to shake.

And in fact we have a hell of a lot less in the way of race riots
etc than anywhere else in the entire ****ing first world, including
yankeeland which has seen entire city blocks put to the torch.

> Indeed we returned to it during the Howard years.

Pigs arse we ever did. Thru his years we saw vastly more
asian immigration than we have ever seen before, ****wit.

> We need to see more public policy that definitively reasserts the principles of multiculturalism.

Like hell we do.

> Instead our Prime Minister is caught out making an ethnic jibe.

Wota terminal ****wit.

> Australia's 'father of multiculturalism' Jerzy Zubrzycki died last month.

That fool wasnt the father of a damned thing.

> After the Cronulla riots in 2006, he wrote a paper for the Centre for Policy Development in which he said the event
> was evidence that 'not all Australians have been touched by the ideology of multiculturalism'.

It would be a ****ING sight more surprising if they all were, ****wit.

> He defined multiculturalism as 'a voluntary bond of dissimilar people sharing a political and institutional
> structure'.

Pity its the absolute dregs of the more recent immigrants like ben Brica etc that dont.

> To make a joke about one of us is to weaken the bond that joins us.

Pigs arse it does.

> Such jokes make one of us into an 'other'.

Pigs arse it does.

> Jokes disparage the difference that multiculturalism celebrates.

Pigs arse it does.

> It's not hard to tell if the ethnic joke is racist. We just need to look to see if the person is spontaneously
> laughing.

Wota terminal ****wit.

> If this is the case, they are sharing the joke, and their sense of being one of us - and not other - is enhanced. The
> mockery is affectionate rather than dismissive. Sometimes they will even tell a joke against their own ethnic group.
> They know that this can help them to make connection and become one with us.

> Sol Trujillo wasn't laughing.

Neither are the Telstra shareholders that saw their share price destroyed.

> With multiculturalism, there is no 'other'. In the words of the song that is sometimes unfairly criticised as trite,
> 'We are one, but we are many ... I am, you are, we are Australian.'

Wota ****ing ******...

> We may affirm multiculturalism, but continue to laugh dismissively at
> Irish and other ethnic jokes. 'But they are funny,' we tell ourselves. The truth is that they are funny to the extent
> that we are racist.

Wota terminal ****wit...