Where does humor end & bashing begin?

[PresidentMike]

Where do you draw the line between humor and bashing? Or to put it another way: when does a joke become an insult?

 

[Mrogreturns]

When its directed at me

 

[PresidentMike]

Originally posted by Mrogreturns
When its directed at me

Good answer.

 

[Greadius]

When its more offensive than humorous.

Or more likely to start a flame fest than a laugh fest.

Or posted in OT instead of Humor & Jokes.

 

[PresidentMike]

Originally posted by Greadius
When its more offensive than humorous.

Or more likely to start a flame fest than a laugh fest.

Or posted in OT instead of Humor & Jokes.

I meant in the broader, philisophical sense, not in the narrow, Civ Fanatics forum sense.

 

[gr8ful wes]

If the intent is to cause harm or raise your own status then it is not really a joke. If it is sincerely told to share laughter with others then it is.

But remember, offence is something that someone takes. No one actually gives offence (so Ive been told, although I know some rather offensive people haha)

 

[CurtSibling]

The two go hand in hand, if you are British.

 

[thestonesfan]

When I cease to be amused and I must layeth the smacketh down in righteous manner.

 

[cgannon64]

I think with close friends bashing and humor are really the same thing. I can really insult my friends, but we take it in stride.

With the rest though, I think its a very fine line. I think insulting someone really has to do with tone of voice and intent. You can tell when someone is kidding and when someone is really insulting you.

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by gr8ful wes
But remember, offence is something that someone takes. No one actually gives offence (so Ive been told, although I know some rather offensive people haha)

In other words, a joke becomes offensive when someone is offended by it.

 

[Gothmog]

I'm one of those people that thinks all humor is about other people's pain and our resulting sudden insight to the human condition.

i.e. it's a continuum.

 

[Mojotronica]

I've given up trying to figure out what is offensive and what is not. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to offend anyone!

 

[Perfection]

In this world there is at least one person that would find any phrase you come up with offensive.

 

[floppa21]

I wish I were an octopus. Then I could give the bird to 8 people at once.

 

[Pontiuth Pilate]

No, you wish you were a squid. They have 10 tentacles each. That's a 25% increase in flipping efficiency!

Back OT, the point of humor is to bash someone into realizing that they are so totally and helplessly wrong that you seem right by comparison so 6 of one, half dozen of the other.

 

[Ohwell]

Originally posted by CurtSibling
The two go hand in hand, if you are British.

What if you are Welsh?

 

[JollyRoger]

A joke becomes an insult when the insulted is the punchline. Unless the punchline is France. Then it is not a joke or an insult but political commentary of the highest merit.

 

[Junzi Nicuzn]

Too soon.
A lot of people get offended too easily.
If someone says something, but isn't trying to be offensive, then I'm not offended.
If they were trying to be offensive, it'd have to be something really nasty to make me even care enough to do something about it.