The terminology amongst various cultures and races around the world strongly differ from one another, as some words can have multiple meanings in different countries. The way a word is used can generate different meanings depending on what kind of situation it is used in. For example, the word ‘funny’ can be used in a variety of different ways, and can be used in both a serious and joking matter. What is considered funny strongly differs from one ethnic group to another, as language barriers continue to be a major contributing factor to miscommunication between people around the world. The word funny should be used in familiar situations around people of the same race or culture, as it can disturb people of other races and generate misunderstandings …show more content…
There are proper times to make a joke or depict an image of a cartoon, such as the Charlie Hebdo cartoon. In regards to this cartoon image, the author of a scholarly article states: “We find things funny because we think they are true; laughter is augmented by implicit preferences” (Lynch). The image of the Hebdo cartoon draws attention from many viewers, many of whom find it funny and a laughing matter. This cartoon can be considered funny to a certain extent, being whether or not those who think the image is funny actually know what the cartoon is portraying. It is acceptable to approach the image with humor, but once someone becomes aware of the meaning behind the image and what the cartoon is actually representing, it should no longer be seen as a funny image. The publishing of cartoon images and other poster ads with hidden gruesome meanings are often a huge spark to major dilemmas between different races and countries around the …show more content…
Not only do people around the world find it very easy to communicate with one another through social media, but millions find it to be the easiest way to entertain others via photos, videos, and blogs. This is where people gain the confidence to post or say things that they normally wouldn’t say in person, as they post content that is intended to be funny but is misunderstood and ends up becoming offensive. Even though posting racial content and jokes about your own race can be considered funny to you, it may very strongly offend someone of that same race or even a different race that you may not know. With the modern day world being heavily populated with many different ethnicities and their very own cultural practices, it is very unchallenging to post content that is not considered funny to others, even if it may be considered to you. A Think Tanc article states, “Something is funny because it captures a moment, it contains an element of simple truth, it is something that we have always known for eternity and yet are hearing it now out loud for the first time”
Violence is everywhere in the United States of America. Many people in America and around the world have been a victim or know someone who has been a victim of violence. Over 22 million women in the United States have been raped in their lifetime according to the website, Victims of Crime. This number is significant. Advertisements could play a role in making violence more acceptable in our society. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, is known for having shocking advertisements. This pro-vegan and pro-vegetarian nonprofit organization has always been a topic of interest. Many of PETA’s ad campaigns are related to sexuality, violence, discrimination against how people look, and dominance over women. There are many pro-vegetarian and pro-vegan ads that do not degrade women and still are persuasive. Jean Kilbourne writes about violence and the degradation of women in advertisements. Kilbourne explains her point of view in her piece, ‘“Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt’: Advertising and Violence.” Considering Kilbourne’s argument, PETA ads are a concern because of the suggested violence while other pro-vegan and vegetarian ads are not.
Psychologists, sociologists and anthropologists study humor because it is a fundamental culture value, but they still can’t determine why certain things make some people laugh and others not. There are “humor quotient” tests that are designed to measure an individual’s sense of humor, but these tests are questionable. These tests aren’t accurate because almost all humor depends on cultural background knowledge and language skills. Not every person in the whole world, or even in one country share the same background knowledge and skills, therefore they cannot have the same type of humor. “The fact remains that individuals vary in their appreciation of humor” (Rappoport 9). Since humor varies from individual to individual, humor lies in the individual. How successful or funny a joke is depends on how the person receives the joke, humor cannot be measured by a statistical
“Everyone has a sense of humor. If you don't laugh at jokes, you probably laugh at opinions.” Once said an American poet, essayist, and existentialist philosopher Criss Jami, Killosophy. I also believe that humor and laugh play a big role in our lives. However, there are two types of people’s personality; people who understand humor and more open minded, and those who just cannot get it, and that, in my opinion, just makes their live harder. The article, “That’s Not Funny” by Caitlin Flanagan, is talking about college students that are not allowed to joke because of comedians restrictiveness in what they are talking
“The practical disengagement of humor…helps explain the opposition between amusement and negative emotions.” (530) There are three effects of humor; irresponsibility, blocking compassion, and promoting prejudice. Humor can take away what we are/should be doing in life and sometimes there isn’t anything wrong with that. Sometimes when we hear a hateful thing we just laugh it off as if it was no big deal when it really was. “An
Humor is more than just amusing entertainment to pass the time. Though jokes and witty banter can be shallow, humor can go deeper than surface level to convey messages to audiences who would otherwise be close-minded about certain ideas. Humor is a great tool to get audiences to change the way they think, feel, and act. In “Saying Goodbye to Yang,” Alexander Weinstein uses humor to criticize some of society’s faults, such as the way it has become heavily reliant on technology, racially insensitive, and judgmental. As technology advances, people are adapting and becoming more reliant upon it.
The artists behind the cartoons more than likely would not openly say what they put into their cartoons. They are shielded by their comical art, which allows them to share their full and true opinion in the form of humorful art. If the artist openly expressed their thoughts like they do in their cartoons in public, they might be looked down upon by their peers, or even end up fighting with their peers over which opinion is correct. With the help of comical drawings, people are able to express their opinions freely, and without the worry of others opinions. It shows that lightening up the mood through humor is something that can help to make the idea more acceptable or drive the audience to be more open to what to what the author or artist is trying to say. The importance of humor when it comes to politics is a great one. Humor in politics is almost a necessity when you want to keep from a major argument over controversial topics, yet there is a time and place for the humor to be used. If used in the right time and place the humor can be almost unrecognizable, but will still do its job of lightening the
Comedy is a great form of self-expression, but it can be deemed offensive at times for a variety of reasons. Comedy pushes many boundaries to their limits including sexism, profanity, disability, sexual orientation, and racism. All of these topics are controversial by themselves and comedians tend to push them even further, which often ends in altercations. In Comedy, Andrew Stott discusses a number of comedic routines and jokes that have caused people to be outraged. Sarah Silverman and Dave Chapelle are both comedians who have offended many people with their racist humor.
Counter-hegemony, cultural appropriation and generalisation can be seen in advertising, by wording and visual representations. The following example harnesses the power of sexual or pornographic elements to sell milk. There, however, is a subtle underlining of religious iconography and reference that has been manipulated as a sexual innuendos, as a means to sell their goods.
The study with Race, Ethnicity and Intercultural Communication takes place within Canada. Although it takes place in Canada, one can still see just how much this information is valuable within race and ethnicity and public health. Faiza Hirji, the author of this article, studies how the issue of humor and race fall within race and ethnicity. He looks at the comedian Russell Peters as an outlet for humor within racism. During both of my interviews, they did not mention humor and comedies, but I feel as if this would have been a good topic to see their views and see whether or not they would believe this as a form of communication in racism. “Comedians who incorporate race and ethnicity into their acts can be alternately popular and offensive” (Hirji, 2009, pg 544). Who would have ever thought that comedians would incorporate race and ethnicity in their comedy routines? It just shows how communication in different forms such as comedy will still get their points across when it comes to race and
The frequent situations of misunderstandings in intercultural communication may be more common then one may believe. The potential for misunderstandings between two different cultures communicating is very high. Through such things as idioms, translation errors, and wrong body language communicative skills can be incorrect. When these intercultural mistakes occur between the people speaking or moving it may be perceived by the opposite culture as funny, rude or confusing. With these considerations in mind, the combination of possibilities for misinterpretations is increasingly elevated.
Advertisements by foreign firms may conflict with a regional or global value. The billboard advertisement in Amsterdam, “PlayStation Portable White is coming” by Sony, has caused global outcry about its racial implications. Evidently, a Japanese person born into a more homogenous society without the cultural background of today’s anti-racists western world will not consider the advertisement for its potentially racist features; however, an American citizen, who has been living in a society that defies the act of being racists, will more readily interpret the advertisement for its potentially racists elements. The visual of the two women, the placement and syntax of the text, and the use of shock all give reason for two different readers, Japanese and American, to interpret the advertisement differently.
Children’s exposure to subliminal messages occurs daily and throughout their life. The media conditions and manipulates the developing mind. Without the parents’ permission or even their knowledge, the media makes lifestyle decisions for our children. Advertising Moguls, without regard for our childre...
Xu, Donghuan. "Cartoon Violence Has near Fatal Consequences in the Real World." South China Morning Post. N.p., 27 Aug. 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2013.
You can find wide varieties of these crude pieces on the internet, and it is not uncommon to hear them in the hallways of schools, or whispered among students and followed by unjustified giggles. Attempting to lighten the seriousness of things such as sexual assault or terrorism is not comedy, no matter what people may say. Comedy is about laughing with the people being mocked, not lessening the seriousness of their situations. When we try to make ‘jokes’, we must keep one thing in mind: comedy is about laughter and joy. A joke is only funny when it is not blinding us to the reality of cruel
Humor can be used like a sniper's gun, picking people off when they least expect it. When we use humor to hurt, we abuse the fundamental essence of this wonderful gift. We must teach our children the difference between what is funny and what is cruel. A joke is never humorous if it is at the expense of another.