Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Dangerous Jokes: How Racism and Sexism Weaponize Humor

Dangerous Jokes: How Racism and Sexism Weaponize Humor

Horisk, Claire

Hardcover

PhilosophyGeneral Education

ISBN10: 0197691498
ISBN13: 9780197691496
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: Mar 26 2024
Pages: 232
Weight: 1.05
Height: 1.00 Width: 5.90 Depth: 8.90
Language: English
People often get away with belittling others if they frame their speech as jokes-speech that would be condemned if stated seriously. It's just a joke, they say. But what is different or special about joking? And if jokes about lawyers and politicians are morally acceptable, then what is wrong with joking about race or gender? Furthermore, if we may joke about a politician's shirts, may we joke about his weight? People who are targeted by demeaning jokes feel their impact but may not be able to pinpoint where the harm lies.

Dangerous Jokes develops a novel, well-researched, and compelling argument that lays bare the power of demeaning jokes in ordinary conversations. Claire Horisk draws on her expertise in philosophy of language and on evidence from sociology, law and cognitive science to explain how the element of humor-so often used as a defence-makes jokes more potent than regular speech in communicating prejudice and reinforcing social hierarchies. She addresses the morality of telling, being amused by, and laughing at, derogatory jokes, and she gives a new account of listening that addresses the morality of listening to demeaning speech. She leaves us with no illusions about whether it's just a joke is an excuse for demeaning humor.

Also in

Philosophy

View All