Jokes about Romani people

I’m not entirely sure what the official forum policy is—and look, I know there have been plenty of nasty, vulgar posts regarding various marginalized groups in the past—but it seems like there's a double standard at play. For instance, if the group being targeted is women, the mods are usually quick to scrub any sexist comments. So, I just wanted to check: is it actually acceptable for a thread whose sole purpose is to mock and insult a specific group of people to be hosted on a public forum like this?

Sure, you could argue that the first couple of posts are somewhat humorous or even charming, but it quickly devolves into these incredibly low-brow jokes where they're straight-up calling an entire nationality "scum" and other such garbage.

Even if the thread stays up, I suppose there is one small silver lining—it serves as a perfect litmus test for the participants. It exposes exactly what their values, intelligence levels, and sense of humor look like, so it’s not entirely without utility.

Based on how you're looking at this, even old-school blonde jokes wouldn't fly anymore. 🤷

Honestly, trying to police humor is a fool's errand, much like trying to measure someone's IQ based solely on their sense of comedy...

There’s a razor-thin line separating political correctness from outright censorship, just as there's a fine distinction between genuine wit and mere mockery. But really, do you actually want to inhabit a world where the freedom of thought is suppressed? Because that is exactly what you're aiming for with this line of reasoning...

I honestly have no clue—which is exactly why I decided to come here and ask.

If someone thinks their peak comedic wit is making jokes about "shitting yourself" only to follow it up by targeting a specific nationality—and actually finds that hilarious—then they’ve clearly hit rock bottom. To me, that isn't just lazy comedy; it is a glaring, undeniable sign of incredibly low intelligence. I won't even go into what I really think about people like that, because honestly, I don't want to be accused of being just as offensive as they are.

I’m posting this here to ask the moderators one thing—is this actually the appropriate place for this kind of discussion on a public forum?

What kind of ban on humor and free thought is this? Seriously—where on earth did you dig this up? 🤷

By the way, I popped in here during a break from watching *Sami Blood*—you really should check it out if you haven't seen it yet! It was actually playing at the Tribeca Film Festival recently.

Nicole Johnson20 said:I honestly don't know, which is exactly why I decided to come here and ask.

Look, if someone’s idea of comedy is "what happens when you take a dump" followed by a jab at a specific nationality—and they actually find that funny—to me, that just screams low intelligence. I’ll stop there before I say what I'm really thinking, because I don't want to come off as offensive.

So, I came here to ask the moderators whether this kind of thing even belongs on a public forum.

Since when did we start banning humor and free thought? Where on earth did you dig up that rule? 🤷

By the way, I'm just popping in during a break while watching *Logan* (2017)—you should definitely check it out if you haven't seen it!

You can't really judge humor through that lens. The kind of comedy you're labeling as "stupid" is usually just built on stereotypes. And it isn't limited to certain nationalities; it applies to all sorts of groups, like cops or politicians.

Just because something doesn't land for you because it feels insulting doesn't mean it isn't funny to someone else. It also doesn't mean those people lack intelligence; it just means they enjoy laughing at generalizations and tropes.

You seem to know how this forum operates well enough to claim you're only here for those reasons, and you're certainly savvy enough not to fall for a total red herring regarding that movie recommendation.

Look, I didn't come here to get into a back-and-forth with you, nor did I start this thread just to argue about PDF discussions—I simply sent an inquiry to the moderators and am waiting for their call.

I have no idea what you mean by "reasons for visiting" or some kind of "trap." I’m currently watching a movie that keeps buffering—which is actually fantastic, and honestly, you’d probably enjoy it given the subject matter—and during a break, I grabbed a snack and hopped on the forum to see what was happening. What "reasons" or "traps" are you even talking about?

And if you truly can't tell the difference between the first couple of jokes the OP made and the rest of them involving vulgarity—well, that's your problem.

Frankly, I'm worried you'd be out there posting those kinds of jokes in public using your full legal name.

All I did was ask whether that specific brand of humor—you know, the crude stuff—actually belongs on a public forum.

Look, jokes like those—and that specific brand of humor in general—just aren't my cup of tea. That said, I’m incredibly sensitive when it comes to freedom of speech, which feels like something you're trying to box in here. Beyond that, you seem to be grouping yourself with the "normal" crowd while dismissing anyone who thinks differently as just plain stupid. Honestly, sorry to say, but that kind of narrow-mindedness is a bit much.

The moderators will handle their own posts, but what I was actually interested in was understanding the reasoning behind your perspective.
As far as conduct goes, insults are strictly against the rules on this forum. If you've spotted any, they probably just haven't been flagged yet—that's exactly what the report button is there for.

Nicole Johnson20 said:I honestly have no clue, which is exactly why I decided to come here and ask.

If someone’s idea of peak comedy is some crude joke about defecating and then throwing an ethnic slur in there just for a cheap laugh, then in my view, it’s a glaring indicator of a remarkably low IQ—though I'll refrain from being more blunt to avoid being flagged for harassment.

So, I am checking with the moderators to see if this kind of thing actually belongs on a public forum.

What kind of censorship regarding humor and free thought is this? Where on earth did you find this mindset? 🤷

By the way, I'm just popping in during a break while watching *Logan* (2017)—highly recommend it if you haven't seen it!

I want to jump in and support this small but vital protest, especially since this isn't the first time I've encountered this specific type of prejudice toward the Roma community on this forum.
I work extensively with Roma children, and quite frequently when I have to issue a sanction because they've messed up, they resort to the argument that I'm only doing it because they are Roma.
While it might be considered "normal" on an American forum to have jokes where a stereotype is used as a punchline, we shouldn't suppress humor while simultaneously applying a completely arbitrary standard that doesn't apply to everyone; for instance, the most basic example is that you can call a Roma person a name just because of their ethnicity, yet you aren't allowed to jokingly change a politician's name without facing a penalty, not to mention the rules against insulting other national groups, and as long as the forum remains such an inconsistent space for discourse and wit, America will remain a deeply fractured society where certain groups feel justified in their resentment because of how they are treated, and others feel justified in their hostility.
The Roma people I know are incredibly intelligent and resourceful, and if they truly set their minds to it, they could outmaneuver any frustrated American looking for a fight.
Therefore, any humor involving the Roma needs to be far more sophisticated than what the average American is clearly capable of producing, and I fear even the Roma themselves are aware of that reality.

neonfox12 said:Look, I’m not personally drawn to jokes or that kind of humor—it’s just not my thing—but I am extremely sensitive when it comes to freedom of speech, which you seem intent on restricting. And besides, you’re positioning yourself as the "normal" one while labeling anyone different as stupid. Sorry, but that’s just narrow-mindedness.

The moderators will chime in with their own takes, but I was specifically asking for the reasoning behind your stance.
Insults are strictly against the rules on this forum, so if there's any happening, it likely just hasn't been flagged yet—that's what the report button is for.

First off, where exactly did I claim to be "normal"?

Second, I didn't actually have the freedom to express how I view them—because I would have been banned immediately—so yes, clearly narrow-mindedness exists everywhere.

That is why I am asking. When you insult an individual user, I know there are consequences, but I don't understand how *this* specific instance is being categorized (is it hate speech or what?). I am simply asking for clarification.

And please, stop cluttering this thread; this isn't some endless debate forum. If you want to argue, take it somewhere else so we can move on.

Jamie Davis9 said:I want to weigh in on this small but important protest, especially since this isn't the first time I've encountered this specific way of treating the Roma community on this forum.
I work extensively with Roma children, and quite often when I have to issue a sanction because they’ve messed up, they resort to the argument that I’m only doing it because they are Roma.
While it's perfectly normal for an American forum to feature jokes where a "gypsy" is the punchline—after all, why stifle humor?—it becomes a problem when the standard is applied inconsistently. It's nowhere near equitable. For instance, the most trivial example is that while you can jokingly call a Roma person a piece of trash just because of their background, you aren't allowed to joke about changing a politician's name here without facing punishment, let alone insulting members of other ethnic groups. If that's the case, this forum will become an inadequate place for genuine discussion and wit, and America will remain a deeply fractured society where Roma people feel fundamentally justified in their identity while everyone else hates them, and Americans simply step in to prove how right they are.
The Roma individuals I know are incredibly intelligent and resourceful; if they truly set their minds to it, they could outmaneuver any frustrated American however they pleased.
Therefore, any humor involving the Roma needs to be far more sophisticated than the average American is clearly capable of producing, and I fear the Roma community is well aware of that too.

Your argument misses the mark. Just look at the jokes told about people from Appalachia (which is where I was born), and you'll see I'm not the first one to take offense.

Or do you honestly think blondes or police officers enjoy those kinds of jokes being told about them?

You can't force humor into the mold of political correctness; that's an infringement on the right to hold an opinion. People can think whatever they want about Roma people, just as they can about Americans. You can't categorize all of that as mere insult or a lack of intelligence.

The Roma have lived their lives a certain way for centuries, and now those who have gone through the education system expect that entire history to be wiped from the collective consciousness? That doesn't happen overnight.

How much Americans "dislike" the Roma is contradicted by the fact that a member of that community was voted winner of a major reality show by the public, and was a fan favorite then and likely still is for many today.

Dark humor is often distasteful, but it is still humor, not an insult.

Nicole Johnson20 said:Look, please stop clogging up this thread; this isn't some official Congressional hearing transcript. Go find another corner of the internet to vent in so we can actually have a discussion here.

I truly hope you aren't aiming that at me, because while I have absolutely no desire to clutter up your precious little space, I feel an undeniable compulsion to speak up, especially since I witnessed the exact same pattern of behavior in that thread about migrant communities in Chicago, where after I voiced my concerns, the moderators just half-heartedly scrubbed a few controversial posts without punishing anyone and then simply shut the whole thing down.

neonfox12 said:Your logic is completely flawed; just look at how we joke about people from Kentucky—since that's where I'm from—and you'll see I'm not the one starting this.

Do you honestly believe blue-collar workers or cops actually enjoy being the punchline of those jokes?

You can't force humor into the mold of political correctness because that’s nothing more than an assault on the fundamental right to have an opinion. People are free to think whatever they want about minorities or any other group in America; you can't just label every thought as offensive or a sign of low intelligence.

Certain communities have lived a certain way for centuries, and now you expect everyone who went to college to just magically erase those realities from their minds? That kind of thing doesn't happen overnight.

The fact that someone from that background could win a massive national reality competition through a popular vote proves that there is significant appreciation for them, even if some people claim otherwise.

Dark humor can be distasteful, certainly, but it remains humor rather than a direct insult.

How you personally feel about anyone is entirely irrelevant to this discussion.
The core issue is that if we are going to patronize these groups by insisting on strict order and adherence to rules, then those rules need to apply to absolutely everyone equally, or we might as well embrace total anarchy where anything goes.
I am simply advocating for clear, established rules.
Or don't have them at all.

Jamie Davis9 said:I want to jump in on this little, yet meaningful protest, especially since this isn't the first time I've run into this specific way of treating minorities on this forum.
I work quite a bit with minority kids, and more often than not, when I have to hand out a sanction because they messed up, they try to pull the card that I'm only doing it because of their background.
Look, it’s totally normal for an American forum to have jokes where a certain group gets the brunt of the punchline—I mean, why stifle humor? But when the standard is completely arbitrary and doesn't apply to everyone equally (for instance, you can call a minority kid a piece of trash just because of who they are, but if you jokingly change a politician's name, you get banned, not to mention the rules against insulting other ethnic groups), then this forum becomes a broken place for actual discussion and wit. It turns America into this deeply fascist construct where people live in a cycle of resentment—minorities feeling justified in their behavior because everyone hates them, and Americans proving them right by acting that way.
The people I know from these communities are incredibly smart and resourceful. If they really wanted to, they could outsmart any frustrated American easily.
That’s why any humor involving them needs to be way more sophisticated than your average American is clearly capable of producing, and I honestly fear those kids are aware of that too.

America is a deeply fascist construct

Who's labeling whom here?

Nicole Johnson20 said:First of all, when did I ever claim to be "normal"?

Secondly, I didn't actually have the freedom to write down my true opinion of them—because I would have been banned instantly. So yes, it seems like one-sided thinking is a universal constant.

The reason I’m asking is that I know if you insult an individual user, there are consequences. I just don't understand how *this* specific situation is categorized (is it hate speech, or what?). I am simply seeking clarification.

And please, stop flooding this thread; this isn't some dedicated debate forum. If you want to argue, take it somewhere else.

Regarding your first point, you’re essentially implying that anyone who disagrees with you is unintelligent. In reality, you’re the one being insulting here.

As for your second point, you can't really apply that logic to a thread specifically about humor directed at the Gypsy community.

Are you seriously suggesting that we should police jokes? In a thread meant for humor?
You can find out which group you belong to and enjoy the jokes made at their expense. 🤷 It’s not like you haven't laughed at someone else before...

This is absolutely a valid space for discussion—the comments themselves prove that.

Jamie Davis9 said:What you personally feel or don't feel toward anyone isn't the topic at hand.
The issue is that if we are going to patronize the Gypsy community by insisting on strict order and following rules, then we either maintain that order equally for everyone, or we let it descend into total anarchy where anyone can grab whatever they want.
I am simply advocating for clear rules.
Either we have them, or we don't.

Good grief, just recently a user here got slapped with a 500-point penalty just for picking a fight with a Gypsy woman.

And now you want to punish humor? That’s censorship. That feels like a slide back toward those old authoritarian regimes...

You are completely misinterpreting the situation and jumping to the conclusion that making jokes in a humor thread constitutes an insult.🤦

driftingcanyon18 said:this entire American institution is nothing more than a deep-seated fascist construct

I honestly find it exhausting when people start throwing around labels like that without a second thought.

As long as these American public forums continue to tolerate and actually promote this specific brand of humor—where someone is essentially reduced to a punchline just because of their ethnicity—then yes, I suppose we have a problem.🤷
It really is the lowest form of wit imaginable, and frankly, there are far too many reasons why it shouldn't be encouraged, though perhaps the most glaring reason is how much it degrades the people actually telling the jokes; they really ought to be taught better.

Look, there’s plenty of humor out there targeting every major religious, ethnic, or racial group, yet suddenly we’re being told we have to walk on eggshells specifically regarding the Roma community. Honestly, the logical conclusion to this trend would be to just ban every single politically incorrect joke across the board. I mean, people make endless jokes about Southerners or blondes being dim-witted, too... that kind of humor is baked into the culture here, just like it is in plenty of other places around the world. Sure, some jokes might be tasteless or just plain bad, but at the end of the day, a joke is still just a joke...
If you find jokes involving filth or specific minority groups to be absolutely revolting, then maybe you should try peeking into the R-rated comedy section to see just how much depravity you can actually stomach. 😉

Jamie Davis9 said:As long as this public American forum keeps putting up with—and actually promoting—jokes where people get mocked just because of their background, then yeah. 🤷
It’s bottom-of-the-barrel humor. It shouldn't be encouraged for a dozen reasons, but mostly because it just makes the people making the jokes look pathetic. They need some discipline.

I really hope you aren't the type who thinks they can lecture everyone else.

Mark Cruz15 said:Lee, there’s plenty of jokes out there targeting every major religious, ethnic, or racial group imaginable.

I'm not disputing that point, but what I find absolutely infuriating is this double standard where you aren't even allowed to call certain religious or ethnic groups on this forum anything remotely insulting without someone losing their mind.

Jamie Davis9 said:Nobody’s arguing that part. The issue is how you can’t even call members of certain religious or ethnic groups on this forum names without getting flagged, while everything else flies.

But apparently, calling America a deep-seated fascist state or whatever is perfectly fine.

Jamie Davis9 said:I’m not disputing that part. My issue is specifically that you aren't allowed to call members of certain religious or ethnic groups on this forum anything remotely derogatory, even in jest.

You can, provided it's within a thread dedicated to jokes. But anywhere else? Absolutely not—and that goes for Rome, too. 🤦

I suppose I should have expected this kind of predictable nonsense to surface again, though my disappointment is certainly tempered by the fact that I'm never actually surprised. It’s truly exhausting how some people seem to find such profound satisfaction in being consistently wrong. kaže:
One could arguably argue that America is nothing more than a deeply fascist construct, or whatever else people feel like calling it these days.

Given how much she insists on preaching her little "standards," it seems like they’ve become the status quo. The only reason I haven't been penalized yet is likely due to my own knack for negotiation. 😁

neonfox12 said:It’s fine to laugh when we're talking about jokes. But let's not take it anywhere else, and that goes for any joke about Rome, too. 🤦

That simply isn't true.
I've already mentioned that there’s been a discussion regarding the Gypsy population in Chicago for years now, and I didn't notice any specific moderation or intervention until I finally decided to speak up.
And even then, the absolute peak of moderation was simply shutting the whole thing down.