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Post by penfold on Feb 18, 2005 2:04:31 GMT
Moved thread from General topic:
PaulS what do you think? I have recently been expeled from a uk based e-mail list for telling this joke. do not go on if easily offended .. . . . . Such a Sweet Story: > > Mr Cadbury and Ms Rowntree met on a coach journey, it was After Eight. > She was from Quality Street; he was a Fisherman's Friend. > > On the way they stopped at a Yorkie Bar, he had a Rum & Butter and she > had a Wine Gum. > > He asked her name, "Polo - I'm the one with the hole", she said. > > "I'm the one with the Nuts", he thought. Then he touched her Milky > Way. > > They checked in a hotel and went straight to bed. Mr Cadbury turned > out the light for a bit of Black Magic. It wasn't long before he > slipped his hand into her Snickers and felt the Contrast of her Double > Decker. > > Then he showed her his Curly Wurly. But Ms Rowntree wasn't keen as she > already had a few Jelly Babies, so she let him take a trip down > Bourneville Boulevard. > > He was pleased as he always fancied a bit of Fudge. It was a Magic > Moment as she let out a scream of Turkish Delight. When he came out > his Fun Sized Mars Bar felt a bit Crunchie. > > She wanted more but he decided to take Time Out. However, he noticed > her Pink Wafers looked very appetising. So he did a Twirl and had a > Picnic in her Sherbert. At the same time she gave him a Gob Stopper. > > Unfortunately Mr Cadbury had to go home to his wife Caramel. > > Sadly, he was soon to discover he had caught something. It turns out > Ms Rowntree had Assorted Creams in her box. > > She had been with All Sorts!! > >
I see no foul language, just simple inuendo. yet it has cost me the ability to post and recieve postings on a masonic e-mail list.
one of the moderators on this list posted a joke about the victims of the tsunami in asia, that tsunami took the lives of 100's of thousands of people, the so called joke cost one TV presenter his job, but the moderator of this particular list was not censured.
One of the reasons that I love Freemasonry is that it is so open when it comes to way of life, it has no boundries about religion, politics, race, (ok I know sex is still a problem with some) , but sex has not caused wars so far)
Do you think my posting was offensive enought to bar me from the list?
Logged
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jumile reply
haha, oops... I've just posted this joke in the joke thread elsewhere on this forum. Obtained from what is almost certainly the same list, judging by your tsunami reference.
I thought this very clever, and really is the perfect example of double-entendre. For anyone to be offended means they really do have a problem, not you. Having said that, if a forum/list you're on disallows even innuendo and you post it, then that's your problem.
As I've slowly come to realise over the years: right and wrong are not absolutes - they're lines drawn in the sand. One just has to stay within those lines until the next wave washes them away and requires them to be re-drawn.
Wow, much profundity at 2am! Logged
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Matt Emanation 5232 (London, UGLE)
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Post by penfold on Feb 18, 2005 2:14:51 GMT
This is a perfect example of humour differences, within one country!
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Post by Trinityman on Feb 18, 2005 6:46:42 GMT
PaulS
One really needs to be very careful about this sort of stuff. Double entendre it may well be, but one doesn't have to be a Fred Housego to work out what it means, and once translated I can see why some people might be offended. Particularly as Bourneville Boulevard is a well known euphanism.
I though the whole Tsunami joke was a storm in a teacup (no pun intended), and this one is more witty than funny. But you must never forget that masons hold themselves to a higher standard, and inevitably some masons in authority will hold others to a higher standard, and define the standard themselves.
My benchmark is - would I tell the joke at the festive board? The answer in both cases is no, even if I would have no problem at all sharing it with my mates down the pub.
I'm really surprised you were expelled for it though - without even a warning I assume. Still - it is a privately run list and the moderators decision is final. I would just chalk it up to experience, Paul.
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staffs
Administrator
Staffs
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Post by staffs on Feb 18, 2005 7:08:40 GMT
i see no offence in the joke at all and can see no reason why you were banned from the list .
I too and on that list and saw the tsunami joke which i believe was from the moderator himself .It was not a joke i thought suitable for general public and as you are aware that person runs the list
Penfold you seem to be worried that you have been banned from that list?? I have monitored it and IMO i orefer this type of interactive forum and find it more manageable than havinfg to wade through a load of e mails.Anfd i find it more friendly here. Dont lose any sleep over it .rest assured you are among friends here who rather have a quiet word than just ban you if you do something wrong.
One problem i do see is that once you have posted to the list there is no way your post can be moderated or edited. Bill,would i tell these jokes at the FB. NO i am with you on that one but i dont think in anyway the allsorts joke can be construed as offensive to anyone.
Storm in an eggcup morelike if you ask me.
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Post by Trinityman on Feb 18, 2005 7:09:56 GMT
On another place far far away, I got into deep problems because I forgot to allow for a different sense of humour. Which made me think about different cultures and different senses of Humour. For me American Sit- coms leave me cold - except for Seinfield which I really laughed at. I think The Goons, Monty Python, and Rowan Atkinson are brilliantly funny. These are all english comedy . What makes you chuckle ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I agree with your choices of good and bad, although I really enjoyed the early episodes of Friends and Frasier and found Scrubs hilarious. Some of the funniest stuff on British tv now are the quiz show format comedies - Have I Got News For You, They Think Its All Over and IQ. But if I really want to laugh, its out with the old Blackadder videos
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staffs
Administrator
Staffs
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Post by staffs on Feb 18, 2005 7:17:57 GMT
A different sense of Humour ?
Well what can be more universally spred then the forumites who come here ?
I dont think anyone has been offended by a persons SOH here ?
although sometimes us Brits might not understand Whistlers SOH we try to understand it and when explained to us appreciate the difference so to speak.
The UK does have a very differnce in humour across it from south to north and East to west.And northern humour and attitude is strange to me although i like the style of say what i like and like what i say.No tip toeing around there.
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staffs
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Staffs
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Post by staffs on Feb 18, 2005 7:25:43 GMT
Matt wrote : As I've slowly come to realise over the years: right and wrong are not absolutes - they're lines drawn in the sand. One just has to stay within those lines until the next wave washes them away and requires them to be re-drawn.
Matt: have a look at the explanation of the FDTB.i have a copy if you want one. It describes the symbol of two parallell lines as being the point within a circle from which no mason can err.
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ruffashlar
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Lodge Milncroft No. 1515 (GLoS), Govanhill Royal Arch Chapter 523 (S.G.R.A.C.S.)
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Post by ruffashlar on Feb 18, 2005 8:01:03 GMT
All I can say is, you lot's Festive Boards must be pretty tame stuff if you wouldn't tell that one at it. I've heard things said by the Right Worshipful Master at a Harmony that would make your hair go white and back again.
There is, moreover, another variation of this story, in which Mr Cadbury is sitting in the pub telling the story to his friend Mr Kipling.
"After dinner I went back to her place and then -"
"What? Liqueurs?"
"Mind your own bloody business!"
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Post by penfold on Feb 18, 2005 8:27:47 GMT
Staffs, I havent been banned from that list - I simply moved Paul S's thread.
I find the list to be very much where the WADITW and Tut-Tut brigade hang out. Its quite boring and this type of forum is much better.
And I saw nothing wrong with either Pauls joke or the tsunami one - but would be cautious as to where I repeated either joke
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Post by Jumile on Feb 18, 2005 10:54:26 GMT
Penfold: I agree. I've found it to be, quite frankly, awful since that tsunami firestorm - almost like everyone's at one another's throats and just looking for excuses to kick a brother in the guts. It's a shame and I find it quite demoralising, probably because I'm so new to the fraternity and am cursed with idealism, but we're not going to be able to change it anytime soon.
Staffs: Thanks, I'll check it out.
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 18, 2005 13:04:01 GMT
Humour to me is like a double edged razor blade. Use it carefully and it can cut through lot of rubbish but it can also slice off the fingertips of the user if not handled with care.
Now I try to avoid humour in my postings. You won't find me on the Jokes Thread. Generally I mean what I post and I take it seriously and will only introduce a "funny" to illustrate a point or perhaps in an anecdotal manner.
I do find those who throw jokes into serious matters very trying. There is one poster in particular who does this and some of his very erudite comments are lost in a welter of one liners, wise cracks and to him witty allusions. I prefer to play a straight bat, and I also never play Devil's Advocate either. If I say it, I MEAN IT!
The other problem with Humour is that it does not travel well and is not universal. Yanks for example, and I have met many though my work, lack a sense of irony but to many Brits their humour in return is too obvious and slapstick. Then there is the problem of the hidden minefield. A few years ago, in the bar after a meeting a Brother made a joke about Alzheimers. I wasn't amused but said nothing, I hate to make a fuss. What he didn't realise is that my late Mother had Alzheimers and died from the secondary effects thereof. It is just too easy to fall into that sort of trap.
I didn't find the Cadbury and Rowntree joke offensive in any way. Sure it is full of sexual innuendo, so are many TV adverts etc these days. It contained no profanity, blasphemy, racism, foul language, but was simply a clever use of the names of well known Sweets. I'm glad I am not involved with the Forum which banned it and want no part of them, they are the sort of stiff starchy types who get the Craft a bad name and put younger people off. As to the Tsunami joke, I didn't see it but I do not feel that it is a matter to joke about given the huge number of people killed so recently.
I would have to agree with Ruff that many English Masons would not be confortable at a Scots Harmony. Scots Humour, especially Glaswegian, is a bit too abrasive for many down here, even I find it a bit unpleasent these days to be honest.
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Post by leonardo on Feb 18, 2005 14:53:09 GMT
There is one poster in particular who does this and some of his very erudite comments are lost in a welter of one liners, wise cracks and to him witty allusions. The mind boggles! On the subject of humour I find that there are certain comedy TV series that seem to satisfy my own somewhat strange sense of humour. In particular there is an American series called Curb Your Enthusiasm, (currently being shown every Thursday night from 11 o'clock on BBC 4) that I considered to be especially funny. I fully appreciate that it may not be to everybody's taste but for me personally there is nothing else on television, especially from the US, that comes close. British comedies, such as Blackadder, Fawlty Towers and Only Fools and Horses, are simply in a class of their own. In fact, I recently purchased the complete series of Blackadder on DVD. I have noticed, however, that humour, at least in my case, is very dependent on how I feel at a particular moment. But I suppose the test of genuinely good comedy is if it can put you in good spirits even if you're feeling a bit down in the dumps. I think humour is detrimental to helping us cope with every day mundane things. But in the end I think it will always be something very personal.
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Post by munkholt on Feb 18, 2005 15:07:44 GMT
That reminds me of another example of humour as a double-edged razor:
Humour can be used to defuse tension, but sometimes in a way that's detrimental to communication. I've often heard people criticise something, and then add a little wit at the end ... and sometimes that works very well, taking some of the severity out of something that was only meant to be a light remark. But it can also be used to cover up an attack - maybe not willfully, but nevertheless: "just kiddin' - you can take it." And, yeah, I probably can, but how am I now meant to address the real issue, without coming across as the aggressive part ...
Personally, I never cared much for jokes. I just can't sit still for the "dramaturgy" to play out and appreciate the punchline. But I love people with a natural sense of storytelling, who can bring to live bizarre, grotesque or surreal situations, preferably something they experienced themselves.
Comedy movie I've watched the most times (and still makes me laugh): The Big Lebowsky. Series: The Simpsons.
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Post by Kevin on Feb 18, 2005 22:39:44 GMT
Quote:Unfortunately Mr Cadbury had to go home to his wife Caramel.Unquote.
I suspect that this is the line which the list administrator found unacceptable.
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 18, 2005 23:30:59 GMT
I know I have no sense of humour but am I missing something here? I cannot see anything the slightest bit objectionable in that sentence.
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Post by Kevin on Feb 19, 2005 2:05:00 GMT
I know I have no sense of humour but am I missing something here? I cannot see anything the slightest bit objectionable in that sentence. It's not meant to be humourous and it's not objectionable per se. It does however refer to and appear to condone adultery, a pracitice which is not in accordance within Masonic teachings as per the Ancient Charges:'You agree to be a good man and true, and strictly obey the Moral Law".
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bod
Member
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Posts: 1,296
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Post by bod on Feb 19, 2005 4:21:56 GMT
I can see what you mean Kevin, but I do wonder if it was more the overall tone of the joke that they objected to? I thought it was funny and smart, ribald even. ;D
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Post by Kevin on Feb 19, 2005 5:28:46 GMT
I agree Bod, it was quite clever and I found nothing offensive about it at all. There have been other close to the bone jokes on that list as well so the only line I could find which may have caused the problem is the one I referred to which is not in keeping with our views on morality.
Humour is a bit like religion and politics, it depends on which country you were brought up in.
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Post by taylorsman on Feb 19, 2005 5:57:19 GMT
I cannot speak for Antipodean Freemasonry but in my experience here in the UK The Craft stops outside the bedroom door. Like Humour, what one considers to me "Moral" depends a great deal on the culture. To object to a light hearted piece of humour such as that typifies to me what I believe is called the "WOWSER" attitide .
I certainly have heard jokes at Festive Boards (South, Refectory, whatever you wish to call the after proceedings) of a far more sexually explicit and vulgar nature and nobody, not even the Grand Officers present, made any objection.
It is for each Forum , Website, etc to set its own Rules, we have ours prominently displayed and Lee (Staffs) and his team of Moderators seem to have the balance about right here. Like I have said, I would not wish to be involved with such a Po Faced and starchy Forum as the one which banned the "Cadbury" Joke .
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Post by Kevin on Feb 19, 2005 8:55:10 GMT
Gee, I didn't realise my opinion on something that happened on a UK based email list would provoke such an outburst from you Steve. I am well aware of your opinion of Antipodean residents so I will refrain from making further comments on this forum.
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