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Question for the Irish
So, elsewhere, someone makes a joke after someone confuses Anthony Kennedy with Ted Kennedy:
"they're both kennedy's and both of irish origin so it's safe to say they're both drunks, Ted is just the sloppy one"
Me:
"that's a spectacular piece of racism, really impressive".
Him:
"oh boo hoo, leave the race card (for a race you don't even belong to) in the overhead compartment, the irish will be the first to make those jokes"
(Ha ha, he didn't know I am Irish)
Me:
"there's a big difference between people making fun of themselves and other people doing it"
(e.g. Jews can make jokes about being cheap, but it's not ok for non-Jews to make them about us)
Him:
"There's a reason there's no Irish Anti-Defamation League. Unlike whiny Jewish liberals, the Irish have a sense of humor.
Must come from knowing when to take a drink and let things go."
So, what do you think? Aside from him being an asshole.
Not, of course, that it's the hugest thing in the world: simply that I thought it was tasteless and inappropriate.
"they're both kennedy's and both of irish origin so it's safe to say they're both drunks, Ted is just the sloppy one"
Me:
"that's a spectacular piece of racism, really impressive".
Him:
"oh boo hoo, leave the race card (for a race you don't even belong to) in the overhead compartment, the irish will be the first to make those jokes"
(Ha ha, he didn't know I am Irish)
Me:
"there's a big difference between people making fun of themselves and other people doing it"
(e.g. Jews can make jokes about being cheap, but it's not ok for non-Jews to make them about us)
Him:
"There's a reason there's no Irish Anti-Defamation League. Unlike whiny Jewish liberals, the Irish have a sense of humor.
Must come from knowing when to take a drink and let things go."
So, what do you think? Aside from him being an asshole.
Not, of course, that it's the hugest thing in the world: simply that I thought it was tasteless and inappropriate.
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Actually Irish or one of the annoying US people who say 'Oh yes, I'm Irish, my ancestors came over during the famine, I'll go some day'? Because I didn't have you down as either.
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Jokes are great if they are intended as just that, delivered as such and I'm the first one to laugh at them if this is the case. Unfortunately at times it's not and "it was a joke" is all too frequently used as a quick get out of jail card; that doesn't wash at all with me. The "it's a joke" tends to be used as a 'look - I'm not really racist' (I've Irish friends you know) and an implication that you've somthing wrong with you when you don't laugh at their wit. He didn't even try that from the sound of it, but tried to justify it all which takes it past being merely tasteless imho. Racism is deplorable, but it's that widespread and ingrained that I don't see how you can effectively deal with it. You'd not believe the amount of this crap I myself have had, hell I couldn't even go on that Iceland trip without some woman making some wise cracks about my accent and diction.
Humour we may have, but one of the things we're not best known for is letting things go if we feel wronged enough. Your man may find this out for himself the hard way if he keeps this carry on up.
Thats my 2P, aside from him being an arse.
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My other thought was "Go tell this joke in a pub in the Falls Road, you'll learn a lot about the irish sense of humour"
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(Anonymous) 2006-01-27 06:59 am (UTC)(link)That said, it's better than even money the good Justice could drink old Ted under the table in the grand manner.
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