Irish jokes 'racist' claim

ASK former local radio announcer Brendan Belovnf and he will tell you in no uncertain terms there is nothing funny about Irish jokes.

So passionate about the matter is Mr Belovnf that he recently parted ways with local community broadcaster Heritage FM because it was regularly airing such jokes.

Mr Belovnf said he had been a volunteer announcer at the station for four years until recently when he began noticing one too many jokes at the expense of Irish people being made by the broadcaster.

“I told station management that I wasn’t happy with the telling of Irish jokes recently on air by a particular presenter because basically the jokes were portraying Irish people as dumb,” he said.

“I am half-Irish myself and I find those kinds of jokes offensive.”

Australian-born, he believed there was no place in contemporary Australian society for jokes that mocked a particular race – be it Irish or other.

Heritage FM management declined to comment but Irish Club of WA President Alan O’Meara said he was not too concerned. “Most Irish jokes are pretty harmless I think,” he said.

“Irish jokes have been a part of culture for a long time and I think most Irish people are able to laugh them off as harmless fun – as long as they are not mean-spirited or too derogatory.”

- Is there a place for Irish jokes in Australia today, or is it racism?

What everyone else is thinking

Gearoid

15/02/2010

For people who believe that these jokes are simply 'banter', you've lost sight of the original agenda behind the creation of these stereotypes. As Con mentioned, these types of derogatory attacks served the purpose of empire very well. Many Australians need to grow a backbone and stop hanging on the UK's coattails. Stop spouting ignorant, uninformed rhetoric because your British 'cousins' told you that you should!

Clare

14/02/2010

Who said its okay to laugh at blonde jokes? Irish jokes are the same as anti women/ women bashing jokes and any other slurs against a particular race. Most of these Irish jokes have originated from brit culture and I am sick of being subject to jokes referring to my culture as thick ugly and drunk- who ever brought this up on radio should be sued and is liable to be sued.
I really can't understand how anyone can think these jokes are nationalistic. If a German told a jewish joke or any white person told a joke concerning an African/ American and this was broadcast on air this discussion would not be so innocent. Change the word Irish to Black and see how you feel about these jokes.There is no difference and it is wrong. And to the Irish who dont agree with Brendan THEY ARE NOT LAUGHING WITH YOU, THEY ARE LAUGHING AT YOU.

Austin May

10/02/2010

Brendan cultural lesson book yourself a ticket.

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Community Minded

08/02/2010

Get a sense of humour while you are out....

Daithi

heard an old dear at a jumble sale in a small hick town halfway from brisbane 2 sydney tell an 'irish' joke it struck me just how cut off australia is from rest of world & i think u guys kinda like that - loved oz loved ozzies but u guys are a bit parochial sometimes & again u sort of seem 2 like that - how bout waking up 2 where the rest of the world is at - telling irish jokes or jokes that identify any particular grouping racial or otherwise are broadly accepted as being less to do with humour & more 2 do with stereotyping in order 2 maintain some sense of superiority & keeping all in place - it is a form of bullying which is what insecure kids tend 2 do, my 2 cents on oz? jettison yr tired tag 2 being some sort of outpost of britain cut off that corner of yr flag ditch old Liz off your coins & take your proper place amongst nations of the world on yr own terms maybe then u won't all feel so insecure u have 2 put down/send up others & then justify it endlessl

Con

03/02/2010

Being Irish, but having chosen to make Australia my home, I accept that the majority of people telling "Irish jokes" mean no racial offence and so I tolerate it. That said, being repeatedly portrayed as coming from a nation of idiots is at the least annoying, and I agree with Brendan that there is no place for this form of "humour" on public broadcast media. A funny story should elicit a laugh without being derogatory.
The Irish did not start "Irish jokes". They were started by the English as a means of portraying the people of an occupied country as stupid, so justifying the Empires "civilising" influence (hence the Irishman or the African in the joke always being the butt of the tale). A logical progression would be "A Yank, an Aussie and an Iraqi.." but I'm sure this would be unacceptable. Islam strongly objected to a Danish cartoon.
There is a difference

dessie

Being of irish mick heritage i was often the butt of jokes. Found way to respond was to tell an even better joke about the other person's background.

Tony why not joined Brendon and go to Ireland if you don't like the Aussie larconic humour

Jet, obviously you are listening to the radio station to make such a comment. Go 107.3

local 107.3FM lass

A 107.3FM announcer played a comical piece about mobile phones by well known Irish comedian Noel V. Ginnity or as he is known in North America Paddy McGinnity from one of his CD's. This announcer had also played a track three weeks earlier. Does this make him or the 107.3FM station racial? You answer it for yourself. It was about mobile phones, a funny delivered by an Irishman with no mention of the Irish -not a racial slur.

alan g

This bloke needs to get a sense of humour, the irish have always had the ability to laugh at thmeselvs which makes them so easy to get along with. If all other nationalities had the same ability the world would be a finer place to live in.

Kaitlyn

Irish jokes aren't racist, it's nationalist, unless of course the person making the joke is not of European descent. A pedantic comment I know, but I think the racist label gets thrown around too much for unnecessary reasons.

karen

My dad is Irish and he loves a good irish joke and to be honest i havent met an irishman or woman who doesnt. The thing is it's a good person who can laugh at themselves just like me with the blonde jokes or the pommy jokes. It's all fun.

Part of being Australian is we take the mickey out of everyone.
Who-ever you are, Wherever your from guess what... your fair game

We didn't invent this and if anything it was brought from England, Ireland and Scotland.

These cultures brought with them the legacies of the centuries of animosity distilled into jokes at each others expense.

Here's an excellent example:

An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman were reading a newspaper article about which nationalities' brains were for sale for transplant purposes. An Irishman's or a Scotsman's brain could be bought for £500 but an Englishman's brain cost £10,000. That proves,' said The Englishman, 'that Englishmen are much cleverer than Irishmen or Scotsmen.'

'No it doesn't,' said The Irishman, 'it just means that an Englishman's brain has never been used.'

I hope you tell that on 107.3.

massimo

Brendan grow up this is not racism but just jokes!!
Politically correct..this is a truly pathetic and offensive joke !!

jet

Heritage FM is an awful station anyway.

Eamon

As an Irish man, I must say I have no problem with Irish Jokes. In Ireland we call them Kerryman jokes. Kerry is a county of Ireland, so we tell jokes about our own people. That and the fact that it was the Irish themselves that started telling them.
What I hate is so called half irish people trying to say what real Irish people think or want.
We do not care about the irish jokes, in fact we laugh loudest at them, basically the Irish jokes are just the same as blonde jokes and i bet Brendan would have laughed at blonde jokes.
This Brendan obviously has no sense of humour.
I just wish people would get a life instead of beating up on this type of thing, much bigger issues in the world.

Tony

Hi Brendan its true bloody aussies are a weak mob , the only way for them to get a laugh is to tell irish jokes ,
My mum once said if you can make someone laugh you have done a good days work.. mind you im on overtime listening to aussie blokes laughing at stupid irish jokes ,
if you can't beat them join them aussies hate that . cheers

Keith Morgan

02/02/2010

Well done Brendan for raising this issue, and for standing up for your principles. It's become all too common these days for people to dismiss these jokes as harmless fun, and for the perpetrators to excuse their racism by claiming that that the victims are being overly sensitive. There's certainly no place for this sort of thing on community radio!

Margaret

Oh for heavens sake, what is the world coming to. My ancestry is english, irish, italian, german and my parents were both born in Australia.

When are we going to stop being so politically correct, if we stop telling irish jokes, pommy jokes, italian war jokes , and all the others there will be no fun left to be had.

As a matter of fact my late husband was a Kiwi and he thought the sheep jokes for instance were great.

Shall we stop telling blonde jokes too, get a life man get a life.

Lance Barron

Brendan Belovnf obviously doesn't know much about life. Time he woke up.
We all tell jokes about each other and if he can't take he is better out of it.
He must have narrow shoulders.

Did you hear about the Irish man who couldn't take a joke?

IanRobbo

"...the jokes were portraying Irish people as dumb". I think you've proved it Brendan! Enough said.

Paul Dawson

Brendan my good man,
I think you may be a little sensitive about all this mate. I am a kiwi and have been living here for two years. I work in the construction industry and spend most of my time away from perth living in camps.
There is not a day goes by where I dont get bombarded with sheep jokes. I'm sure you know the type of jokes I am talking about.
I think it is all good banter because at the end of the day I know my workmates are just having some fun. Besides I can give back just as much as I receive sometimes.
And that would be my advice to you my friend, just fire it straight back up em in a controlled, aggressive sort of way.
At the end of the day we are all comonwealth.