In the past, discrimination against racial groups was not taken seriously and ignored. The racial groups faced lots of bias and suffered in silence, but this is not the case today.
Discrimination against racial groups and all forms of racism is a serious offence and no longer treated with kids’ gloves. More so, a shift in views and reasoning has made many people consider prejudice against these racial groups as unjustifiable.
However, some sets of individuals are still prejudicing the racial groups, not minding that many consider it immoral.
Today, racial jokes no longer enjoy massive acceptability because it is offensive. But here comes the big question, can racial jokes ignite discriminatory actions against the racial groups?
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Have you ever thought of the effects of this racist humour and its impact on the victims’ mindset? Do you believe that it has discriminatory tendencies?
Based on the research results, many psychologists believe that racist humour can be very disparaging and can ignite prejudiced attitudes. Yes, this will undoubtedly lead to discrimination against other people.
First, jokes are not neutral. Humour is mostly dependent on the context, the calibre of the audience, and their perspectives. A particular joke can be funny for Mr A but not amusing for Mr B. Moreover, Mr A can consider a specific joke to be racist, but Mr B finds it nonracist. It all depends on the joker and the listener.
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It is very dicey because racist jokes may appear to be inoffensive for some people in the racial groups, while some may consider it offensive. It depends on whether you hold negative views against them or not and the things you find as moral or immoral.
As a person, you can either perceive a racial joke to be derogatory or not. More so, it may prompt you to discriminate or not discriminate against them.
Secondly, it is pertinent to note that jokes are not all about fun and enjoyment. Many believe that humour relieves tension, takes away depression, and regulate moods and relationships.
However, humour has its negatives, and we should all be conscious of it. Random jokes and humour can cause severe harm and prejudice and jokers should know about this. These adverse effects that it has against others can sip into the fabrics of our mindsets.
The “black monkey” chants, jokes, and other random humour about the black race are no longer acceptable.
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Psychologically proven, it hurts the self-esteem of the victims.
Today, many racial groups are asking questions about how black became terrible. But who said that black is bad? Some religions, like Christianity, depict black as evil and sinister. This is no longer a joke, and there are a series of campaigns against drawing images as evil.
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Racial Jokes Are Casual Racism
I am not wrong if I say that racist jokes are an example of casual racism. Casual racism involves negative prejudice and stereotypes centred on derogatory comments.
Casual racism is not an intentional action, and its aim is not to offend.
But does this lack of intent imply that casual racism is not racism? It is not ideal to have an open discussion about racism because it might encourage prejudice.
Your racial jokes can ignite racial superiority or violence. With all these racist implications, you don’t necessarily need to be humorous about racial issues. Think about the people on the receiving end. Do you imagine being in their shoes?
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Does This Imply That I Can’t Joke about Racial Things?
Being conscious of the impacts of casual racism means that you are accountable for the words you utter as well as your actions. It can fuel severe discrimination and prejudice against the victim. More so, it can cause other people to have wrong impressions about you.
How to Deal with Racist Jokes
Racism will still live on, and it will be kicky, so long racist jokes are condoned. It is quite glaring that racisms no longer come in packets. The residues are still bubbling beneath the surface. It can erupt into public conflict and disaster.
The worse of all is that friends and colleagues say these racial jokes. They include hurtful comments and prejudice.
It is quite disheartening that these racial jokes are now pervasive, and people are not challenging it. Its impacts are increasing by the day. What do you do or respond when a friend, colleague, relative, or partner makes a derogatory racist joke? Will you keep quiet? Will you ignore the offensive jokes because your close people are involved?
Take a step and think of dealing with this issue. You can read on advice and tips on how to deal with derogatory jokes if you are a victim. There are several tips on the internet on how to condone or stop racial jokes.
It would be best if you try not to handle this issue with kids’ gloves. Assuming you are in a meeting and your Boss tries to be hilarious by making a racist joke.
You should not laugh or keep quiet because your perception is involved. If you stay calm, your Boss will quickly notice that you’re not happy, and he might rephrase his statement.
There is a common belief that no time late for you to express your feelings. You can do that immediately after the meeting or later in the day.
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You should tell them clearly why you perceive that their joke was not funny. Get closer to a psychologist and find out the best way to condone offensive statements. Be careful not to make your friend feel judged. You should consider taking a more direct stand by telling the jokers that such jokes are hurtful and derogatory.
It is circumstantial, and the solution may depend on the situation. You will continue to wallow in these pains if you fail to express your feelings.
Never ignore racism anywhere. Racial jokes and other casual racism acts are not exceptions. As for you, the joker, why not ignore the racist jokes?
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