How To

How to Be Politically Correct When Telling Jokes

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(5 Ratings)

As political correctness becomes more prevalent, various types of humor are becoming less acceptable. Follow these guidelines to entertain your friends without causing any offense.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Joke Books
  1. Step 1

    Assess the group of people you're telling jokes to and try to gauge who might be offended by what.

  2. Step 2

    Tell any jokes that seem appropriate for the group at hand, avoiding racial, ethnic, sexual or other types of humor that may make certain audience members uncomfortable.

  3. Step 3

    Be extra careful when telling jokes around strangers or casual acquaintances. Old friends will forgive minor offenses, but an inappropriate comment may prevent others from becoming your friend in the first place.

  4. Step 4

    Be extremely careful when joking with potential clients or business partners. In this type of situation, it's often best to remain professional and keep the humor at a minimum.

Tips & Warnings
  • Don't assume it's safe to tell an off-color joke in a homogeneous group, as this type of humor often makes people uncomfortable regardless of their background.

Comments  

| View All 7 Comments
Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 8/8/2006 When reading about political correctness, keep in mind this is a communication style for the weakest links in our society and don't take it seriously. Use common sense, don't be rude, and don't make a fool out of yourself.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 6/30/2006 Pretend the priest (or clergyman) at your place of worship were sitting next to you when you tell the joke. A decent person would temper the offensiveness of the joke. However, if you're not smart enough to do that, then follow what the other guy said.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 Avoid calling us "guys," "dudes," "boys," and "studs." "Men" is the politically correct term.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 Be careful when telling G. W. Bush and Al Gore jokes! You're bound to offend someone in the group. It's probably ok to go after the Green Party - they're more liberal, have a sense of humor and know it's, unfortunately, a lost cause.

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 There is no such thing as a politically correct joke. That is an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. Jokes usually mean to make light of or poke fun at something and, therefore, will be incorrect to somebody. I'm with Steve on this one! Just don't bother.

Post a Comment

Post a Comment
  • Have you done this? Click here to let us know.
I Did This

Related Ads

Hobbies, Games & Toys
Nate Chang, eHow Expert,

Meet Nate Chang, eHow Expert eHow's Hobbies, Games & Toys Expert.

Get Free Hobbies, Games & Toys Newsletters

Copyright © 1999-2009 eHow, Inc. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.   en-US

eHow Hobbies, Games and Toys
eHow_eHow Hobbies, Games and Toys