Huckleberries Online

Dirty Harry: PC Makes Us Humorless

Posted by DFO

Feb. 27, 2009 1:30 p.m. • 13 comments

Acting legend Clint Eastwood , 79, apparently believes that political correctness has rendered modern society humourless, for he accuses younger generations of spending too much time trying to avoid being offensive. The Dirty Harry star insists that he should be able to tell harmless jokes about nationality without fearing that people may brand him “a racist.” “People have lost their sense of humour. In former times we constantly made jokes about different races. You can only tell them today with one hand over your mouth or you will be insulted as a racist,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying/Yahoo! India. More here.

Question: Do you agree with Clint Eastwood that political correctness has made modern society humorless and quick to be offended?

13 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

scootermom on February 27 at 2:31 p.m.
Humor at the expense of another person, or another group, just isn’t funny.

Jokes about nationality, race, gender, religion and sexual orientation are meant to mock and devalue.

Ain’t nothin funny about that.
Liz on February 27 at 2:34 p.m.
yup. some of my very best jokes about my own particular ethnicity came from a former boss of mine who shared that same ethnicity. I think if you can laugh at yourself, you’re miles ahead…
and then there’s the lawyer jokes…
Joker on February 27 at 3:03 p.m.
ScooterMom,

Ever watch South Park. They make fun of everybody! Included people’s race, religion, sexuality. The show is a riot.
Cabbage Boy on February 27 at 3:10 p.m.
Many people are out looking to be offended so they can complain or sue.

Grew up around the Norwegians, and they told the best Norwegian jokes.

Blonds tell the best blond jokes. But that is because they do it with a straight face. And then wonder why everyone laughs.
Dennis on February 27 at 3:11 p.m.
I think Herb and a few other posters are waiting for me to jump all over this one. :-)

But I will say that humor is one thing, stating a false belief as fact and then trying to say it “Was Just a Little Joke” is completely different. The latter is generally based on ignorance.

There are running jokes between my wife, kids, friends and I that go on all the time. Believe it or not, we are really hard to offend. It’s when the comments are said for “effect” that gets this Hillbilly’s blood ah-boilin’.

***** Que the Banjo Music******

;-P
Laughing on February 27 at 3:30 p.m.
Yup, too much of an uptight society. Long live South Park.
Liz on February 27 at 11:12 p.m.
how could I forget South Park… I love South Park. They pick on everybody equally…’course Isaac Hayes grew a big pole up his heinie after the scientology flap…oh well…

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.