Racial Humor

major theories of what makes something humorous

Superiority, incongruity, relief, and play theories.

moralism/ethicism about humor

If an instance of humor involves morally bad attitudes, it diminishes the funniness.

immoralism about humor

A joke can be funny partly because of its immorality.

autonomism about humor

Moral flaws have no impact on funniness.

Cohen's skepticism about racist humor

We can condemn humor as racist, but we can't really give moral-theoretical reasons for why it is racist.

Basic Racist Act (BRA)

An act done to harm someone due to their racial membership, or which can reasonably be expected to mistreat someone as a consequence of their racial membership.

when humor is racist according to Philips

When it is a BRA, or can reasonably be expected to promote an atmosphere where BRAs are more likely, or is intended to promote such an atmosphere.

Richter Reed's objection to Philips

Racist humor is wrong even when there is no one around to be mistreated.

Benatar's view on immoral humor

Humor is immoral when intended to harm, or can reasonably be expected to harm, and the harm is wrongfully inflicted.

when humor is racist according to Benatar

When it expresses a racist belief, or when it inculcates and spreads racist views.

Benatar's explanation of harm from racist mental states

Racist mental states damage interests in being regarded as beings worthy of respect; the person thought of negatively is harmed in an important way.

Bergmann's view on racist humor

Racist humor is humor in which racist beliefs, attitudes, or norms either must be held to perceive an incongruity or are used to add to the fun effect.

Bergmann's objection to her own view's under-inclusiveness

One can perceive an incongruity without endorsing racist beliefs, but awareness of racist beliefs is only enough to see why some would find it funny, not enough to actually find it funny.

Garcia-style view on racist humor

A joke is racist if the speaker has an attitude of ill will towards, or careless disregard for, a targeted race.

merely racial humor

Humor where the speaker has an aim to subvert the stereotype associated with the target group and the audience can reasonably be expected to recognize this aim.

racially insensitive humor

Humor where the speaker lacks an aim to subvert the associated stereotype, or has a subverting aim but cannot reasonably expect audience uptake.

racist humor (Anderson's definition)

Humor that either wrongly harms the target in virtue of their racial membership, or is motivated by a malevolent attitude or one of disregard.

Shoemaker's thesis about immoral humor

There may be immoral properties (deception, mockery's sting) that make humor funny, but making such wisecracks may be morally permissible if intentions and motivations are above board.

harm (Shoemaker's definition)

To be damaged in some way (physically, psychologically, financially, romantically, etc.); an objective status that can occur without awareness.

offense (Shoemaker's definition)

A subjective psychological response of being taken aback, stunned, shocked, or put off; a response to affronts to sensibilities; you cannot be unaware that you've been offended.

can offense itself be the harm?

No; harm may be caused by offense, but the offense isn't the harm. The harm is psychological damage caused by how powerful or long-lasting the affront is.

when is deliberate offense morally wrong?

The blame is exclusively for malicious intentions and motives; it's the disrespect that's wrong, independently of whether any offense is actually caused.

can people be unreasonably offended?

Yes, people can be mistakenly or unreasonably offended, so we cannot simply take offense as a compelling moral objection.

evidence on effects of disparaging vs subversive racial humor

Both can prompt people to more openly express prejudice, but effects depend on people's pre-existing attitudes and motivations.

positive reasons to tell potentially harmful racial jokes

Funniness, enjoyability of playing with risks, and subversion of racism can sometimes outweigh the risks of harm