Posted by shar on February 2, 2003, at 22:54:24
In reply to Re: Light bulb jokes » shar, posted by Dinah on February 2, 2003, at 8:59:06
> Would they have been so funny back at a time when Italians were genuinely looked down on by a large percentage of the population? When there were signs on doors saying that Italians need not apply for jobs? When people really thought the stereotypes were true?
.......Italians are STILL genuinely looked down on, people STILL really think the stereotypes are true, and a lot of them ARE true (if, perhaps, exaggerated). The old 'grain of truth' or 'where there's smoke' deal.
......About the signs on doors that Italians need not apply, I'm not familiar with that, my granddad was a cobbler with a one-room shop so I missed out on that part. However, the feds took care of that (at least as far as signs on doors go; it's no secret that discrimination in hiring is still rampant).
.........Even within my Italian family, there is eye-rolling at some of the hot-blooded displays, and you gotta watch out for the hands flying while people talk. Moreover, we're part Sicilian, and even the Italians look down on Sicilians! Family reunions are always quite an experience. I always feel sorry, at family reunions, for the Anglos who marry these women who look like Sophia Loren, and a few years later look like Pavoratti (sp).
.......Having and aunt and cousin within the same family who react so differently to 'wop' jokes is very characteristic of people--that within-group differences are at least as significant as between-group differences. It is the same in my family, I'm sure; I guess I just spent more time with the ones who weren't offended.
.........I suppose, as another poster said in a previous thread, intent matters a lot. If someone is looking to put someone else down in a mean and nasty sort of way, I don't laugh no matter how they do it. Because there are hundreds of ways to do it. And, there are topics I don't find humorous that a lot of people do find humor in.
.........As far as being sensitive, I think it's fine to be sensitive (and I am sensitive, some people say overly so, about a lot of issues). I'm also really serious about a lot of things many people do not think are serious issues. If people think I'm overly serious or overly sensitive, that's their problem, not mine.
Shar
poster:shar
thread:36066
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030201/msgs/36213.html