"Lighten up, it's just a joke." Criticism that is often directed at minorities and mostly at women when they are made the butt of a joke. "After all," many men seem to say, "we have no trouble being made fun of, so neither should you." Yet, there is a difference between the exchanges that go on between acquaintances and friends, or the self-deprecating comedy a lot of stand-up comedians employ, and the punchline "women, am I right, guys?". In addition, it's hard to be funny if people make fun of other groups who are a few notches below them on the power totem pole.
But, the bottom line is, some jokes are also simply not funny or stale. As a micro-effort to improve overall conditions, here's a thing you can do: stop laughing at them. You don't need to lecture or moralise, you don't need to get up and storm out of the room. Simply don't laugh. People love being found funny, so they will repeat what works well - and the reverse is true, too.
But, the bottom line is, some jokes are also simply not funny or stale. As a micro-effort to improve overall conditions, here's a thing you can do: stop laughing at them. You don't need to lecture or moralise, you don't need to get up and storm out of the room. Simply don't laugh. People love being found funny, so they will repeat what works well - and the reverse is true, too.
