Irish jokes are we offended

Winty

Hello Comedians

In today’s Irish Times

“Irish jokes in British prison newspaper prompt complaints”

“A condemned man sat in the electric chair awaiting his execution, but there was a fault. They called in Paddy the electrician to try and sort out the problems. After two hours, he still hadn’t found it and told the Governor, ‘This thing is a bloody death-trap.’”

A second read: “An Irishman goes for a job on a building site. The boss asks, ‘Can you brew tea?’ Yes, he says. The boss then asks, ‘Can you drive a fork-lift?’ ‘Why, how big is the tea-pot?’”

Conor McGinn of the London-based Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas said the jokes could fuel anti-Irish prejudice in jails. Is he correct or are we Irish bigger than that and like the late Irish comedian Dave Allen who once said: “You might as well laugh at yourself once in a while – everyone else does.”

So are we offended?

triple-M

as a non Irish person who has been living here on an on off basis for the last 15 years,I find Irish jokes to be funny for the most part but the Irish generally tend to take things a little too far at times probaly for a bit of shock value which isnt always a good thing,from what i've seen a few lads at work doing a joke can turn sour very fast and end up in an argument or bullying

Linoge

Prisoner Found Dead
"An Irish prisoner was found dead in his cell in a British prison earlier this week with 15 stab wounds in his back. The police said that it was the worst case of suicide that they have ever seen."

@Triple-M, i dont think the OP was referring to jokes from irish people or irish humour, but more jokes about Irish people.

I think they are great tbh! They show how far we have come that we can make little of our stereotypical past. When i hear about people getting upset i think about how The Playboy of the Western World was received, how people took it as some sort of social commentry and were highly offended rather than what it actually was, a satire of country life from 100 years previous.

As race jokes go, I think Paddy jokes are fairly light.

Winty

Your spot on, I think that because we laugh at ourselves it shows a maturity and an understanding of comedy as just that comedy.

This is one of the reasons why so many on the international comedy circuit are Irish we can give but unlike others we can take.

frobisher

They made me chuckle!

SlimJ

That first joke about the electric chair has nothing to do with being Irish at all. They just shoehorned in the word "Paddy" for no reason. The joke works just fine without it.


I'm offended at the idea that prisoners get a free newspaper. I'm no criminal and I have to pay €1.80 for a paper, and it doesn't even have any jokes in it.

Winty

Hi Slim

I live in London, I can buy the Irish Times for £1 equal to 1.05 euro.

Its great that a Irish Paper is cheaper in London than Dublin, its a funny wee island.

InReality

No I thought they were ok.

pappyodaniel

Not at all offended, in fact it's quite a compliment. These types of jokes show the Irish of having a surreal way of thinking, an askew view of the world, or as Billy Connolly might say "think sideways".

If anyone's offended then they probably take themselves too seriously. A self-deprecating sense of humour is always agreeable in my book. All the best comedy is self deprecating, it shows honesty which breaks taboos, and the listener's response to these home-truths is "it's so true!"

eth0_

It really depends on the context and who is telling the joke. I worked with an English guy before who would tell "Paddy Irishman" jokes in what was definitely a xenophobic way and it really offended me and the other Irish people in our department.

mrbig

I imagine the people who think its ok have never worked in the UK (which lets be honest it's almost exclusivly English people that tell Irish Jokes)
Irish Jokes are meant to be offensive, I worked in the UK and still often go to meetings there, anyone telling Irish Jokes is being delibrity offensive, I am not talking about making reference to my Irishness or some kind of freindly banter but actually telling a joke, the traditional stupid paddy joke is as offensive as any other racist crap and usually a good indication of the perpetrators true intentions.
I also imagine the people who think its ok have never had to bite their lip while some ignorant moron makes a thinly disguised anti Irish jibe.
If you are in any doubt try replacing Paddy with Packie or some other racist name.
I no longer feel I have to bite my lip as I will say straight out that I find that offensive (this is progress)
The only thing I find more offensive is sycophantic Paddies kissing English arse pretending to find their jokes funny.

S.L.F

mrbig wrote: »

I imagine the people who think its ok have never worked in the UK (which lets be honest it's almost exclusivly English people that tell Irish Jokes)
Irish Jokes are meant to be offensive, I worked in the UK and still often go to meetings there, anyone telling Irish Jokes is being delibrity offensive, I am not talking about making reference to my Irishness or some kind of freindly banter but actually telling a joke, the traditional stupid paddy joke is as offensive as any other racist crap and usually a good indication of the perpetrators true intentions.
I also imagine the people who think its ok have never had to bite their lip while some ignorant moron makes a thinly disguised anti Irish jibe.
If you are in any doubt try replacing Paddy with Packie or some other racist name.
I no longer feel I have to bite my lip as I will say straight out that I find that offensive (this is progress)
The only thing I find more offensive is sycophantic Paddies kissing English arse pretending to find their jokes funny.

+1

I lived over there for a good while too and as mrbig says it is racist.

Anybody who thinks otherwise should go and live there for a few years.

Latchy

I understand were people are coming from with this and the Irish joke phenomenon is nothing new .People have wrote books on Polish jokes ,Jewish jokes ,Belgian jokes and of course Irish jokes . The Australians could turn taking the pee out of the british (and the Irish ) into an industry .We have a cross section of Irish comedians such as Dara Ó Briain ,Ed Byrne ,Graham Norton ,Dylan Moran who appear regular on briitish tv alongside other alternative English ones and quite happy to 'fit in ' .

I happened to tune into rte radio online earlier and the well known English folk singer ,Charlie Landsborough was being interviewed about his life growing up in England .Several time he refered to how upon meeting Irish people as he moved around England , he greeted them as 'paddy' .I dont think he ment it in the context of being offensive ,it was just a term of reference to not knowing or remembering somebodys first name .In my own expierence off living here in uk I have seen many irish people refered to as Paddy as I have Scots being called Jocks ,sometimes for the same reason . On an individual one to one or in small group basis people were always refered to by their first names .So basically I would go as far as to say that generally speaking ,british people know the difference between the Irish joke which has nothing to do with the actual Iriish race .Of course you are going to get people using it as a put down of sorts but that is a universal thing now and not just aimed at the Irish .Like is there a difference between an American , Australian ,Canadian or Englisman telling the same irish/polish /jewish joke . ? It's the same joke . Are other races offended when Irish people tell jokes at the expense of their race ?.I know many irish people over here who not only tell Irish jokes themselfs but laugh at them but they do know the difference when the Irish joke is being told by a non - Irish person ie ,wink wink ...

The two irish joke OP refers to are about 20 years old ,if not older

yuloni

This post has been deleted.

frobisher

Why are Paddy Irishman jokes always so dumb?

So the English can understand them.

WindSock

I don't get offended by women or Irish jokes. I would however feel slightly uncomfortable if I were in predominantly male or English company, outnumbered and have the jokes said at me, as if to mock me rather than make a silly joke itself.

It's the intent that matters. Otherwise, anything is fair game.

S9M95

How many potatoes does it take to kill an Irishman?

None




Too soon?

twitch1984

I dont get offended because I will just give back twice as much as they throw at me and tbh they cant take it

Johro

frobisher wrote: »

Why are Paddy Irishman jokes always so dumb?

So the English can understand them.

Nice one. There's ways of getting your own back. Heard this one: Paddy's havin a pint in a london pub and these two skinheads are watchin him, one says to the other; 'Watch me wind up Paddy over there.' and he says to him: 'Oi Paddy, did you know Saint Patrick woz a b*st*rd? Is that right? says Paddy. 'I didn't know that now..'
So skinhead 1 says to skinhead 2: 'Didn't work.. He didn't even flinch.' Skinhead 2 says: 'Watch this' , walks over and says: 'Oi Paddy, did you know Saint Patrick woz an Englishman? 'Ah sure I know!' laughs Paddy. 'Your friend just told me.'

Johro

Ah.. That's supposed to be 'englishman' first, then 'b*st*rd'. Never mind. It still works.

riot grrl

I live and work in the UK and I find irsh jokes really offensive. Its true if you were joking about black people or jewish people they would be considered offensive without question. But i feel with irish jokes we are just meant to sit there and take it.
I dont and I always tell people to shut up when they do. If I find irish people joking about brits Id do the same too.

But yeh Its different when you have lived there and worked there. I dont find jokes about irish people being dumb or planting bombs at all funny and i dont like stereotypes. My boyfriend is british and I had to pull one of his friends up about his irish jokes and tell him to cop on. The most annoying reply is when you get 'its a joke'. Such a stupid lazy neanderthal reply.

Damon Blake

I would presume that if you're in prison the jokes that they print in the paper are the least irritating thing that happens to you.

kdogkeith

In my opinion people who make up jokes about irish people may or may not be trying to offend and those who pass on the joke are certainly not trying to offend, i have a very good friend in the uk and she has sent me jokes about irish people which she has heard.
Lets not forget many of us tell racist jokes for a laugh, it doesnt mean we are racist

Fallen Buckshot

thats Political correctness for ya one thing said and gets taken outta context or some musheads get offended at the least things

Horse_box

riot grrl wrote: »

I live and work in the UK and I find irsh jokes really offensive. Its true if you were joking about black people or jewish people they would be considered offensive without question. But i feel with irish jokes we are just meant to sit there and take it.
I dont and I always tell people to shut up when they do. If I find irish people joking about brits Id do the same too.

But yeh Its different when you have lived there and worked there. I dont find jokes about irish people being dumb or planting bombs at all funny and i dont like stereotypes. My boyfriend is british and I had to pull one of his friends up about his irish jokes and tell him to cop on. The most annoying reply is when you get 'its a joke'. Such a stupid lazy neanderthal reply.

Look, it's all about the context of how it's used

I'd say your boyfriend's mate was just telling the joke in a light-hearted way and he probably did not mean to offend you. If it was said with venom then fair enough, tell him it's offensive. Otherwise laugh it off or tell them an Englishman joke

Bottle_of_Smoke

I live in northern ireland and get a lot of anti-irish jokes thrown at me. I find it good craic to be honest.

mrbig

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

I live in northern ireland and get a lot of anti-irish jokes thrown at me. I find it good craic to be honest.

Who is making the anti-irish jokes in Northern Ireland? other irish people?
I think it sad that those who say this is OK allow themselfs and there country to be insulted in this way.

dermothickey

how do you fit 16 englishmen in to a mini?

send the guvnor in and they all follow up his arse,

anyway to the OP, I dont think it's right to PRINT those type of jokes in a prison newspaper considering, there would be a small minority of irish prisoners in their too. if they continued it could turn nasty over the years.

dermothickey

dermothickey wrote: »

how do you fit 16 englishmen in to a mini?

send the guvnor in and they all follow up his arse,

anyway to the OP, I dont think it's right to PRINT those type of jokes in a prison newspaper considering, there would be a small minority of irish prisoners in their too. if they continued it could turn nasty over the years.

That's what I'd say the problem is, to be honest. Its bad enough it's printed, but having to hear it over and over and over again by a bunch of childish prisoners with nothing better to do would wreck your head, I'd say.


On that though, don't find them offensive, unless they're told in a way that's supposed to offend. But even then I don't get offended ,i just completely ignore the person.

Exclamation Marc

I don't really like Irish jokes, but I don't really like any nationality jokes.

I think they're down there with self-depreciation jokes in that they're so easy to tell and they all seem to fall on really old stereotypes. A "modern" Irish joke (if it was funny), I'd be fine with. Its nothing to do with being offended or anything like that, I just find them as a real poor resort for a comedian to go to, sort of like the comedian can't really write anything themself without someone else creating the base for his joke for him/her to tack on some mucky punchline thats been overdone.

bigbadbear

Lighten up everyone. Offensive things are only offensive if you let them offend you (if you know what i mean)

If the joke is said in a banter kinda way laugh out loud if its funny.
If its said in a snide or insulting way laugh in your head if its funny and throw a better English joke back at them or kick them in the face. But telling somebody that is trying to insult you that you are insulted by their comments is not very smart.





Side note: Political correctness is the arch enemy of happiness