[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

One of the South Park originators, Matt Stone, is a Jew.

Two of the Family Guy originators, Mike Henry and Alex Borstein, are both Jews.

Jews can poke fun at themselves... it's different when non-Jews do it. A bit like black people using the N word I suppose.

Nice to know that you yourself are not offended by this anti-Semitic moron and his poor dog. I personally find it both offensive and disturbing.

Whilst this is true, and I've read interviews with them in the past discussing comedy that make a lot of sense (the intent being to mock neo-nazis and take away the power in it, not to mock Jewish people)... I do then have to wonder, why is it also OK for these shows to do the same with every race? They also make light of black people (and things like slavery, which saw horrors on par with the Holocaust), Chinese people, starving kids in Africa... Etc... And they are none of those things?

Is it simply OK for any minority to mock any other minority? Or is it that Jews / the Holocaust are specifically off limits to anyone but Jews?

Regardless; my point was never that it isn't offensive to some people and people have every right to be offended by it. My point is only that some people finding a thing offensive, does not mean it should be banned / illegal etc.

No matter the level of poor taste.

It isn't legitimately inciting violence, it's borne of ignorance at worst, not hatred. If it was a video of a guy seriously suggesting that everyone should go out and attack Jewish people then by all means arrest him. But it's not. It's just an insensitive, not-very-funny joke that's fallen flat. Really I'm just not a fan of censorship, full stop.

[bots]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

Whilst this is true, and I've read interviews with them in the past discussing comedy that make a lot of sense (the intent being to mock neo-nazis and take away the power in it, not to mock Jewish people)... I do then have to wonder, why is it also OK for these shows to do the same with every race? They also make light of black people (and things like slavery, which saw horrors on par with the Holocaust), Chinese people, starving kids in Africa... Etc... And they are none of those things?

Is it simply OK for any minority to mock any other minority? Or is it that Jews / the Holocaust are specifically off limits to anyone but Jews?

Regardless; my point was never that it isn't offensive to some people and people have every right to be offended by it. My point is only that some people finding a thing offensive, does not mean it should be banned / illegal etc.

No matter the level of poor taste.

It isn't legitimately inciting violence, it's borne of ignorance at worst, not hatred. If it was a video of a guy seriously suggesting that everyone should go out and attack Jewish people then by all means arrest him. But it's not. It's just an insensitive, not-very-funny joke that's fallen flat. Really I'm just not a fan of censorship, full stop.

It always boils down to intent. Anyone that believes the guy posted that video on youtube for a prank at his girlfriend is kidding themselves. He was trying to say something controversial repeatedly thinking he could get away with it by featuring the dog.

If you want to play a prank, does it really need to incorporate hate for a group? If the objective is humour, does the audience (youtube not his girlfriend) not need to see it as funny?

The likes of Southpark have always tackled issues leaving the audience in no doubt what its position is on the subject, thats the big difference.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

It always boils down to intent. Anyone that believes the guy posted that video on youtube for a prank at his girlfriend is kidding themselves. He was trying to say something controversial repeatedly thinking he could get away with it by featuring the dog.

The girlfriend thing was obvious BS but I still very much doubt he is an actual racist or Nazi, or that he has any ill will towards Jewish people. I think he intended it to be controversial and therefore funny, in a sort of "funny Internet stuff" way, but he was naive about how it would be received.

If the objective is humour, does the audience (youtube not his girlfriend) not need to see it as funny?

Well you'd think so but then how do you explain Catherine Tate? She had a show for YEARS and it made me want to die. Or that BBC sitcom, "Miranda". I think it has the objective of humour but all its managed to do is expose the deepest depths of existential despair that the human race has ever known.

And also, Jimmy Carr

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

............Is it simply OK for any minority to mock any other minority? Or is it that Jews / the Holocaust are specifically off limits to anyone but Jews?

Yes... In much the same way no one can use the "N" word but black people.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Livia

Yes... In much the same way no one can use the "N" word but black people.

But South Park uses the "N word" frequently and neither the creators, nor any of the current cast, are black?

E.g Randy Marsh on a game show with the letters "N_ggers" and the clue "people who annoy you" (the right answer being "Naggers", heh)... And he gleefully shouts out the "N word".

...

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

But South Park uses the "N word" frequently and neither the creators, nor any of the current cast, are black?

E.g Randy Marsh on a game show with the letters "N_ggers" and the clue "people who annoy you" (the right answer being "Naggers", heh)... And he gleefully shouts out the "N word".

...

I have only ever heard the N word uttered on South Park by the Chef. Who is black. Is it offensive? Not particularly to me, but it might be to a black person, you'd have to ask them

In my opinion the Randy Marsh thing is quite mild but again, you'd have to ask a black person if they thought it was offensive.

Neither of these things make light of six million people being murdered.

My Dad used to laugh at Alf Garnet, not because he thought being a racist was clever and funny, but because Warren Mitchell (Jew, incidentally...) was always shown to be the bigot he was... and it was funny. This issue isn't like that. Not at all. And as a Jew I am offended and no amount of explanation from a non-Jew, and the fact that some non-Jews find it acceptable will convince me otherwise.