BY WENDY LUN
Humor is varied. One joke may seem hilarious to one person but dull to another. However, is there a fine line when it comes to punchlines? The safest bet is to stay away from insults and sarcasm, yet something about being hostile is appealing to the masses. People cross the line when they offend someone’s identity. Stereotypes are considered adverse humor because they are belittling, shameful, and dividing to the human race.
Many stereotype jokes are meant to slander an entire quality or culture. They encourage steotypes concerning racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. It’s hard to ignore what happens in a black community when a website like WORLDSTARHIPHOP exists. Black-American culture is generally categorized as “ghetto,” though according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word itself means “the poorest part of the city.” This label creates a negative stigma for the entire race. Blonde stereotypes are completely ridiculous. Blondes are wrongly labeled as dumb and promiscuous. There is no scientific basis for why blondes are considered dumber than Brunettes. The stereotype was made out of spite and is belittling to blondes’ identities. Blacks and blondes, and many more, may or may not live by their stereotype, but either way it is hurtful.
Hostile punchlines lines that promote stereotypes can be detrimental to a person’s self esteem since many unchangeable features of a person’s identity are being ridiculed. Even though there are both negative and positive stereotypes, certain jokes are humiliating and embarrassing to whom those stereotypes apply. As an Asian woman, it is uncomfortable for me to be around my peers when one person decides to tell an Asian or a sexist joke. Juggling several negative labels dealing with gender, ethnicity, class, and more means that I am the brunt of many stereotype jokes. Stereotypes can drive some people into changing or hiding their self-image and permanent features due to insecurities highlighted by them. The stereotype threat theory is the fear of confirming a negative stereotype. Prejudice humor reaffirms a negative stereotype, threatening the identities of people.
“The phenomenon of stereotype threat…can be a stigma that affects attitudes and behaviors.” said Claude Steele, the Dean for the School of Education at Stanford University.
Bigoted comedy further emphasizes the separation of the human race. Gender discrimination sets a barrier between men and women; racial punchlines link color with negativity. These jokes set preceding expectations for people, such as Asians are presumably smart or Jews are considered cheap; white people do not use seasoning in their food. One entire race can not adhere to the stereotype set for them, no matter the situation. Isolating categories of humans does not move society forward, it does the opposite.
At some point in all of our lives, we have laughed at a prejudiced remark or two. Don’t deny it. It is understandable why humor like this can be used to lighten the heavy mood of a room, but the damage is still there. Negative stereotypes are worsened when reinforced by comedy, and they should be eliminated as humor. They should be treated as ignorant remarks instead. No jokes can lighten the gravity of prejudices, especially when they target a certain group. Offending a human characteristic is not funny, and it never should be. Before telling a derogatory joke to your friends, think before you speak. The consequences of your actions could be toxic to someone’s existence.
