Short Bus

[vraiblonde]

Humor is usually at the expense of someone else.

Exactly. All my life I've been the target of short jokes and blonde jokes. So why are jokes about the handicapped or ethnic groups so socially unacceptable?

 

[vraiblonde]

I realized the connection from the beginning. But I was years out of school when I first heard the phrase, and I felt old and out of touch.

When I was a kid, the parochial school kids rode a short bus. LOMR kids rode a huge blue bus.

 

[MMDad]

Exactly. All my life I've been the target of short jokes and blonde jokes. So why are jokes about the handicapped or ethnic groups so socially unacceptable?

Short jokes are acceptable because blonds don't understand them.

 

[vraiblonde]

Short jokes are acceptable because blonds don't understand them.

 

[Tonio]

Exactly. All my life I've been the target of short jokes and blonde jokes. So why are jokes about the handicapped or ethnic groups so socially unacceptable?

I don't know. I have a theory about why disabled people get upset at jokes about them--maybe they worry that rest of us see them as genetically defective and less than human.

 

[Tonio]

Now I have an earworm of Cake's "Going the Distance" with the chorus hook replaced with "I rode the short bus."

 

[rack'm]

I don't know. I have a theory about why disabled people get upset at jokes about them--maybe they worry that rest of us see them as genetically defective and less than human.

I would say it falls more along the lines that it's something that they have no control over......like calling a black person a derogatory name.....

 

[vraiblonde]

I would say it falls more along the lines that it's something that they have no control over

And I have control over being short?? And now, thanks to the teasers, I've gone brunette because the stigma attached to being blonde was too much for me to bear.

 

[rack'm]

And I have control over being short?? And now, thanks to the teasers, I've gone brunette because the stigma attached to being blonde was too much for me to bear.

Oh bull, your hair color looked fine.

Lets face it, kids make fun of kids.....for their hair color, height, weight, you name it.......there's very little more cruel than a child.

 

[Tonio]

And now, thanks to the teasers, I've gone brunette because the stigma attached to being blonde was too much for me to bear.

My 2¢ -- I think the whole blonde thing is mostly jealousy. There's a perception that our society finds blondes to be more attractive and desirable. In the case of women, the perception is that blonde women have men at their feet to cater to their every whim. Whether that perception is accurate or not, many people believe that. Look at the ads for hair coloring and tinted contacts. For the sake of making money, they treat brown hair and brown eyes as some sort of curse. Also, I've often wondered if some people see it as a class issue, if they equate brown hair and brown eyes with "Spam-sucking trailer trash" or something.

 

[jwwb2000]

My daughter asked me the same when she saw a short bus but this particular one was for head start so I just told her that bus was for the children who go to Headstart.

 

[Tonio]

somehow I do not believe it was too much for you to bear. You should have kept it blond to prove the stigma wrong...that's what I'd do.

Are you sure Vrai wasn't joking? She would have to change her handle to fauxbrunette.

 

[kwillia]

My 2¢ -- I think the whole blonde thing is mostly jealousy. There's a perception that our society finds blondes to be more attractive and desirable. In the case of women, the perception is that blonde women have men at their feet to cater to their every whim. Whether that perception is accurate or not, many people believe that. Look at the ads for hair coloring and tinted contacts. For the sake of making money, they treat brown hair and brown eyes as some sort of curse. Also, I've often wondered if some people see it as a class issue, if they equate brown hair and brown eyes with "Spam-sucking trailer trash" or something.

Rosered, Rosered, Rosered... why must it always be about Rosered...

 

[cattitude]

Hey TigerLily?

Wanna get away?

 

[Pete]

And I have control over being short?? And now, thanks to the teasers, I've gone brunette because the stigma attached to being blonde was too much for me to bear.

Brunette? really?

 

[Tonio]

Rosered, Rosered, Rosered... why must it always be about Rosered...

 

[Tigerlily]

Wanna get away?

You picking me up?

 

[vraiblonde]

This whole tread was UFB and Vrai I am disappointed in you

Oh pish.

The real reason it's not nice to tell jokes about the handicapped or make ethnic jokes is because it's almost never meant in fun - typically those jokes are malicious, trying to build up your own self-esteem by running down someone else.

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to point that out.

Anyway, Tigerlily, you should have just said that that's the bus the handicapped kids ride to school. No big deal.

 

[Tigerlily]

Oh pish.

The real reason it's not nice to tell jokes about the handicapped or make ethnic jokes is because it's almost never meant in fun - typically those jokes are malicious, trying to build up your own self-esteem by running down someone else.

I'm surprised it took this long for someone to point that out.

Anyway, Tigerlily, you should have just said that that's the bus the handicapped kids ride to school. No big deal.

Good point Vrai, I guess even though I did not post it correctly I was looking for a way to handle it without singling out any group or disability.

 

[cattitude]

You picking me up?

I hope you don't mind the Explorer. It is cloudy...the vette stays in her blankie unless the sun is out.


Seriously, I think I could make a killing on here today if I sold tampax. (thanks KK )