Should jokes that offend polite opinion, such as ethnic jokes, sexist jokes, or disaster jokes, be censored? Increasingly it is argued that such jokes should be censored because they allegedly promote unacceptable political or social attitudes. As a result of this attitude, such jokes have all but disappeared from the mass media. The censorship of jokes has become a reality.

Professor Christie Davies, Britain's leading academic expert on jokes and the author of four major scholarly studies on the subject, argues in this report that those who support the censorship of jokes massively exaggerate the impact jokes have. 'Vigorous political rhetoric, a stirring sermon, a persuasive advertisement, a well-placed lie, a piece of malicious gossip are all uses of words that are infinitely more powerful than jokes. When jokes are used in the pursuit of particular ends they are merely ancillary. Wit is not a weapon; it is merely the artistic decoration on then scabbard.' 

The prevalence in a given society of jokes about particular ethnic groups is not a reflection of the strength of animosity against that group. During the 2^nd World War, understandably, there existed extreme animosity towards Japan in the United Kingdom and, particularly, the United States. Yet these animosities were not translated into jokes - Japanese jokes did not develop. Similarly the prevalence of jokes about a particular group does not mean that deep-seated animosities towards that group exist. 'There is no reason to believe that Americans are hostile to Polish-Americans or Canadians to Newfoundlanders or the French to the Belgians who are the butts of their jokes about stupidity.' 

So what explains the prevalence of ethnic jokes? 'Jokes are based on conventional scripts which are accepted for the sake of enjoying the jokes but which do not form a guide to everyday behaviour. There may or may not exist a stereotype that coincides with the conventional script. Just as the wartime stereotype of the fiendish Japanese had no jokes attached to it, so too Canadian jokes about dirty Newfoundlanders are not tied in with any serious belief held by Canadians.'

The disappearance from the media of jokes deemed to be unacceptable has not caused such jokes to disappear. Jokes not permitted in the media are now not only pervade in the pub but also via the Internet and by e-mail. Such jokes are thus shown to be a genuine and resilient expression of popular culture. In fact Professor Davies argues, because the media does not feed them, they are the one true independent expression of popular culture.   

The views expressed in this report are the author's own, not those of the Social Affairs Unit, its Trustees, Advisors or Director. Nevertheless I warmly commend them as a spur to topical debate.

Michael Mosbacher, 2004