My tolerance for mean humor

MissUtilis

I'm not sure it was ever that high to begin with, but I'm worried my fairly low tolerance is bad

like I don't think being mean to children is funny for one thing

Imipolex G

Being mean to children can be funny only because children are themselves mean little bastards.

But, I agree that mean humor is not all that tolerable. And it's too prevalent these days.

Salix Babylonika

Being mean to children is like being mean to small animals.

One-Winged Eagle

Being mean to adults who can fight back is just plain fun, though.

LW

I do not think having a low tolerance for mean humor is a bad thing at all, really. While I feel like good natured teasing has its place, it seems to me that humor that lets you laugh with people is far more fulfilling that humor that involves laughing at people, at least in part because you do not have to look down on anyone to do the former.

Also, I think humor can often be used as a justification for being cruel or offensive just for the sake of being cruel or offensive (e.g., pranks, "non PC" jokes) and so I guess I do not personally buy into the idea that saying something is a joke automatically makes things okay that ordinarly would not be.

eriophora zia

I often feel that mean "humor" is just an excuse to be mean without having to take any blame for being mean. 

I'm "mean" to my roommates, but it's good-natured on both sides. It would sound mean to a bystander, but we're both having a lot of fun with it. I don't think that's mean humor because there's no actual meanness meant or interpreted in it. That's different. 

glennmagusharvey

Miss Utilis said:

I'm not sure it was ever that high to begin with, but I'm worried my fairly low tolerance is bad

like I don't think being mean to children is funny for one thing

It's not bad, at all.

I enthusiastically endorse your low tolerance of mean humor.

I don't like mean humor either.