 sj |
||
|
||
dyslexia jokes offensive?
|
|
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Steve Parkes Date: 14 Oct 03 - 09:38 AM Well, I thought they were funny before I got to the home page ... I guess it's like the old song says: "if it wasn't for bad taste, I wouldn't have no taste at all." There's an undefinable line beyond which a joke is in bad taste and shouldn't told/shown. But there's a second undefinable line beyond which bad taste becomes so outrageously extreme it becomes acceptable again. And a lot depends on who's telling it, and why. It's not so long ago that it was held to be self-evidently very bad that disabled people should be allowed to make their own decisions, especially when it came to having children; and don't even think about -- gasp -- sex. That reminds me: Self-evident: evident to oneself and no-one else. (Ambrose Bierce: The Devils' Dictionary) Steve PS Well done with the carrot! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull Date: 14 Oct 03 - 09:24 AM James Wale. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rapparee Date: 14 Oct 03 - 08:48 AM I must point this out. And when you're finished being shocked and disgusted, check his home page. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: InOBU Date: 14 Oct 03 - 07:31 AM Another serrious reflection: I went to law school, just before the Americans with Dysablities act was passed. So, I was rather open about my dysablity, which is a problem seqencing, which is sort of the inverse of dyslexia. Folks who have been here around, know it is the reason for my odd spelling. While in law school the ADA was passed and some students got in through special accomodation, they were in every way as qualified as any other to be in that school, and to get there needed to be the most accomplished students in the US - this was one of the top three law schools (or as our dean liked to say, one of the five schools that can call itself the third best...) These six or so students were put in touch with me by the office for students with dysablities, as they knew, as I was not seeking a corporate carreer and was already "out" about my challenges, I would act as their voice to the varrious places in the school, like the library, where they found barriers - such as not being able to bring a lap top into the library. They needed, for the sake of being hired eventualy, to hide their dysability, for example, when one employer found I had a L.D., she - for an entire day, spoke to me very slowly, as though I had a cognitive problem, until I sat down at the end of the day and explained to her life with my dysablity, no big deal until you are asked to write something long hand or do simple math, or turn left very quickly. But all this comes, eventualy to the above question, are these jokes funny. No. When I hear these jokes I remember a young woman, who was one of the six L.D. students at my law school being made to take her exam in a separate room, so as to get a little more time and be able to use her computer, and the school asigning a room next to construction outside on the street, and having her come to peices becasue of the distraction which a student with no dysablity would have found to be a challenge. It was heart rending, because it was beyond crule that the proctors for the exam did not think that this was wrong. She was alowed to take the exam another day, but people often just don't think. I agree with above that one of the few funny L.D. jokes is dyslexics untie, and there was a group at an anti war march that had a funny sign about dislexics against war - I don't remember what the sign was but it was a funny letter switch, but generally the jokes just aren't funny. Cheers Larry |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull Date: 14 Oct 03 - 05:33 AM heloo-Richrad Branson is dislecsic, so is that bloke off the radio, ive forgot his name now, that bald bloke waht used to be on telly. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Gurney Date: 14 Oct 03 - 05:17 AM It isn't funny unless it's funny! But when it is funny, don't get dyslexics started on dyslexic jokes, because they know hundreds, and you'll get tired of them first. As for telling blind jokes, I did once, having come into the club late, and received huge applause. Then the compere told me there were 30+ totally blind people in the audience, a bus trip from a 'blind school' as they used to be called. They thought I was taking the piss out of them, and they loved it. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: gnu Date: 14 Oct 03 - 05:09 AM Newfy jokes originated with the grand sense of humour and the sharpness of wit of Newfies. A true Newf wouldn't be offened... 'e'd jus' tell a better joke. As for the jokes above, thanks, I had several good chuckles to start the day and I wasn't offended. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: LadyJean Date: 14 Oct 03 - 12:33 AM My mother was dying of lung cancer. She wanted to die at home. This would mean I would have to take care of her. I can't say I was looking forward to it, but I figured it was what I should do. The two of us had to square off against the hospital social worker, who wanted to put mother in a nursing home. She found out, somehow, that I was dyslexic, and she didn't want an illiterate looking after my mother. I was holding one of Patrick O'Brian's books when I spoke to her. I still wonder what she thought I was doing with it. I don't think I ever managed to convince her that I could read. Just so you understand why I think those suck eggs. I really hate having to convince people that I am not illiterate, insane, or retarded. Jokes like that don't help much. I had a housemate from St. Johns Newfoundland. He was a computer programmer, something of a workaholic, a maddening neat freak, and a a teetotaller. Canadians tell jokes about "Newfies" that portray them as stupid, lazy, dirty, and drunk. They tell these jokes, I discovered, because they believe Newfoundlanders are stupid, lazy, dirty, and drunk. I heard remarks like, "Don isn't a Canadian, he's a Newf." from Canadians who should have known better. Now, I don't tell jokes about any group of people except politicians. (They ask for it.) |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: HuwG Date: 13 Oct 03 - 11:57 PM An example of a well known dyslexic personality which occurs to me, is Toyah Wilcox (punk singer from the 1980's, and TV and Radio presenter since then). Whatever difficulty she might have with reading or spelling, it would be impossible to tell from her very articulate and logical presentation. Since I find incongrous to link dyslexia with any personal or social disadvantage, I would find dyslexic jokes less hurtful than those about "spastics" ie. those who have suffered from cerebral palsy. On the other hand, anyone who has been deemed "stupid" during childhood because of dyslexia, would obviously disagree with me. And of course, there are only two or three dyslexic jokes which are at all amusing, and which I do not propose to labour. Incidentally, a girl I know is slightly dyslexic. She is also a very pleasant and generous character. Everyone who knows her is patient, and makes no comment as she laboriously reads sentences in newspapers or magazines. We save our scorn for those supposedly intelligent people in petty authority who talk or correspond in meaningless and incommunicative jargon. .... Not a joke about dsyslexia as such, but ... The Monty Python team once performed a sketch in which John Cleese introduced Eric Idle as a man who spoke only in anagrams. Eric proceeded to do just that for several minutes until John frowed in bewilderment and said, "But surely, that last sentence was a spoonerism rather than an anagram ?" To which Eric replied, "Well, if that's your attitude, I'll p**s off !", and stormed off set. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Oct 03 - 11:49 PM You didn't miss anything, Gargoyle. It isn't a joke. Gareth, A couple of years into my employment as a writer at the university library where I work, I was talking to my boss during my annual evaluation. I mentioned my dyslexia, and he was amazed that this was the first he'd heard of it. When we work on print materials, I write what I'm going to, then I pass it off to him to see if he wants anything changed, added, whatever. As a natural editor, he also marks any of those typos and reversed words (probably assuming they're typos). So when he asked "how do you compensate for the dyslexia?" I laughed and told him I give it to him to proof read! If I can let something "cool" for a while, I can catch most of it myself. But it's hard for anyone to catch their own errors when they're close to a work, dyslexia or not, so we generally all proofread for each other. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:51 PM I posted the little jumbled spelling atricle a while ago somewhere here... The phrase is "I Luv NY" - I love New York the "Luv" has been replaced by a red heart... so, it's a vusial pun, in a way... orange carrot === red heart or the carrot could be red... at least that's the way I red [sic] it... :-) Tyke - good effort, but the correct way to spell the word you wanted was "reel" not "real" - for the delights of these sorts of probelms that spell checkers can help? you with - see Owed to the Spell Checker Robin |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:20 PM Clansfolk....please!!!! explain #1 ....I don't get it.
|
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rapparee Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:15 PM I thought, and still think, that confusion can come from the mind working faster than the body can cope with output or input. I can type about a hundred words per minute, and I still mess up the output. To grasp words as a gestalt is quite an accomplishment. To grasp a sentence is more. To grasp a paragraph -- or, as some do, an entire page -- is really quite amazing. (I include comprehension herein, as I've sat through whole books, gazing at the pages and taking in nothing. Sort of like some sermons or university lectures.) |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST,pdq Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:30 PM He then went home and prayed to his dog??? |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: michaelr Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:17 PM Steve Parkes -- would you please explain the carrot thing? It's driving me nuts! I remember being roundly slammed by a member of the MIC (Mudcat Insiders Clique) when I gently ribbed another poster for spelling "Carolan" as "Caroline" in my early days on the `Cat. It was "how dare you make fun of a dyslexic?!" That mistake seems untypical of dyslexia from what I read here. Then there was the dyslexic cop who spent Saturday night handing out IUDs... Cheers, Michael |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Gareth Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:12 PM Hmmm ! - I am not convinced that Dylexia is not used as an excuse by some educational authorities to pass off poor results. I'll tell yer for why, in the 60's I was diagnosed as having mild dylexia - and those catters who have seen my writing my have thier own thoughts on this - they may have been right. This problem exists, poor spelling (see my posts) etc. but in my own case my comprehension and speed reading is reasonably high. Possibly, just possibly, and I have little scientific evidence to back this, I think it may be, in some cases at least, a problem with the mind working faster than muscular coordination can work a pen or a keyboard. Just a thought ! And now a true story At the last Welsh Assembly Elections in Caerphilly, we had a new candidate one Jeff Cuthbert, an old drinking butty of mine. Diagnosed as having mild Dylexia, like me, despite his BSC, and professional Engineering qualifications. I was charged with designing and producing his flyer leaflets. There was a heavy pause when the Election Agent read the first Galley's - "Who proof read this ?" "I did" said Jeff. "It seemed OK to me !" "Christ ! " said the Agent, "Thats all we need, a dylexic candidate, and a dylexic author/printer !" Jeff was not allowed to proof the galley's - Just check the content !! "Ah Well!" said Jeff in the pub later, "At least we're both members of the DBA - The British Dylexic Association !" Gareth - Three cheers 4 spell checkers on Word ! " |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: wildlone Date: 13 Oct 03 - 05:53 PM Like Guest above I had an advanced reading age but I was slow at maths but i have since been told that I have a form of number dylexia. The chairman of one of the re-enactment groups I belong to has dyslexia in a bad way, his emails and the newsletter he produces are works of art. A member once asked him why he did not use a spell check, His answer "at least it makes you lot read what I send". Or as he says, "there is nothing wrong with daily sex" Dave |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST Date: 13 Oct 03 - 03:45 PM WOW Lizabee ditto! I have the exact same problem. including the Lazy Youth bit! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST,pdq Date: 13 Oct 03 - 03:03 PM I know the subject is humor, and I don't give a rat's p-toot what someone tells a joke about, as long as I can tell any joke I want. It would help if the joke were either factual or funny! This may have been posted before, but it is very interesting for those who want to understand how reading actually works: Amzanig !!! Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcusease the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. amzanig, huh? |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rapparee Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:48 PM So I walked into work this morning and noticed a book with the title "Five people you want to meet in heaven." I picked it up before I realized what the title was, I thought that it was "Five people who make you want to heave," and I wondered how the author could make the list so short. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: running.hare Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:31 PM Again A dyslexic who found the original jokes irelevant but the rest of the thred Amusing & Cheering. Ohh & DONT tell me to use a dictionary, I often cant work out the 1st 3 letters of what I cant spell, so How am I supposed to find it by Alphabetical Indexing!!!! I Just Wish people wouldn't atribute my mistakes to Lazy Youth with out politely inquireing first! (As has happend on the cat) I Cant remedy a mistake if I can't See it! Learning Lines however, no prob! Remebering where I left my shoes/ handbag / pen etc.. Major problem! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: ced2 Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:18 PM On! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:15 PM I must admit that they are not very good jokes and also that they seam to be connected to another condition where words you hear get jumbled up not dyslexia. I'd also like to take issue with the statment made by Mark; "Contrary to popular belief, having dyslexia doesn't mean that you can't spell or that you write words or letters backwards. It means that you have significant difficulty learning to read." Actually that is exactly why I am classified as dyslexic! I had a hugely advanced reading age before I even got into school. My only problem is a tendancy for my eyes to try to read the whole page at once insted of individual lines. I was reading books for 8 year olds alone by the age of 5. That is why it was never diagnosed till I got into university, people thought that I MUST be able to spell and I was just being lazy. I can't spell (or indeed type, do mathmatics, read/play music and don't even TALK about punctuation!) and If I have only seen a word written down I tend to pronounce it wrong if it's more than three syllables long. A classic dyslexic in fact! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Oct 03 - 02:09 PM Good points, Tyke! My study skills in graduate school improved greatly through my desire and interest in the classes, and I was old enough to understand what I was trying to overcome. In high school and my undergraduate work I always did much better in the classes where the tests were based on lectures. If they were based on tons of reading, I was sunk and didn't always have the discipline to do the work over the extra hours it was going to take me. In graduate school I made sure to get the reading list way ahead and read every book required before the class even started, so on my second reading I could skim if I needed but I would have read it at least once. I read well, but very slowly. Books on Tape are a wonderful tool for dyslexics. Since I remember what I hear so well, it means I really get a lot out of the book on the first reading and get it faster than if I read it myself. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Tyke Date: 13 Oct 03 - 01:51 PM All in all I'm pleased to be Dyslexic! When I real off a monolgue and people say how on earth did you all remember that? The answere is I'm Dyslexic! I have an emense long term memory once somthing is in ther I don't usualy for get. The some of the down sides are my visual / short term memory is rubish to none exsistant and I can't spell or proof read. So I miss out words and worry about the thing that I write. I'm easly distracted when reading so I need to sit down somwhere quiet. If I watching Tellivision however you could set off a bomb and I probably would not hear it. Understanding Dyslexia when your dyslexic means understanding your own dyslexcia. Not nessasarly other peoples. I shall now copy this into a spell check and past it back. If you are dyslexic you will not be able to tell the differance. Then again you may not be able to tell the difference in any case! Why? because I may or may not have made any spelling mistakes! So you may not be dyslexic! Then again depending on how you are when you read this you may be dyslexic and just having a good day. The answer is that I am Dyslexic and I do not know the answer. All in all I'm pleased to be Dyslexic! When I real off a monologue and people say how on earth did you all remember that? The answer is I'm Dyslexic! I have an immense long-term memory once something is in there I don't usually for get. The some of the down sides are my visual / short-term memory is rubbish to none existent and I can't spell or proof read. So I miss out words and worry about the thing that I write. I'm easily distracted when reading so I need to sit down somewhere quiet. If I watching Television however you could set off a bomb then I probably would not hear it at all. Understanding Dyslexia when your dyslexic means understanding your own dyslexia. Not necessarily other peoples. I shall now copy this into a spell check and past it back. If you are dyslexic you will not be able to tell the difference. Then again you may not be able to tell the difference in any case! Why? Because I may or may not have made any spelling mistakes! So you may not be dyslexic! Then again depending on how you are when you read this you may be dyslexic and just having a good day. The answer is that I am Dyslexic and I do not know the answer. The question was do I find Dyslexic jokes offensive? The answer is not if the person who is telling the joke understands Dyslexia. So if I were telling a Dyslexic joke it would be OK for me to take the Mickey out of myself. Once I've done that it should be all right to take the Mickey out of Banjo Players and tell Banjo player jokes. Just as long as it's not to a room full of Banjo Players! I obviously do not want to have to spend the rest of the night explaining the joke to them!! |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: PageOfCups Date: 13 Oct 03 - 01:45 PM JennyO, I'm gonna be having nightmares about your post. I'm studying to be a sign language interpreter. (Maybe I should switch to -- I dunno -- air conditioner repair?) PoC |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST,pdq Date: 13 Oct 03 - 01:25 PM Keep telling them that: "dyslexia is a condition usually found in very bright people". I still can't believe I got through Chemistry and Genetics in college with dyslexia, although my case is relatively mild. Red/ green color blindness was actually a bigger handicap because there is little you can do to compensate of it. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Oct 03 - 01:13 PM I wondered if that might be the case, Steve, but that one actually doesn't work for me in a dyslexic way. The letters are too scrambled. Dyslexia doesn't create an anagram, just a gentle reshuffle of letters into similar words. Santa-Satan, left-felt, was-saw. (It's quite a helpful condition when one is interested in generating puns!) No, I wasn't referring to any specific post when I commented on the misspellings, and there is always a margin of typo-errors in any of these threads anyway. The "boost basic comprehension" ad at the bottom of this thread is actually poorly placed; dyslexia is a condition usually found in very bright people. Once we figure out what was written, comprehending it isn't a problem. SRS |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Steve Parkes Date: 13 Oct 03 - 12:05 PM SRS: "Vimto" is a famous drink in England that was all the rage before Coca-Cola crossed the Atlantic. It doesn't contain cocaine or cola (or "pepsi", whatever that is), but is fizzy and sort of purple coloured. Viewers in Scotland have their own drink (sorry -- another in-joke!), called Irn-Bru, pronounced "iron brew" in Scotland ("made is Scotland from girders" Steve |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: JennyO Date: 13 Oct 03 - 11:47 AM SRS, when you said 'I dislike seeing the intentional misspellings to show "insider" status..' I don't know if you were referring to my saying 'that lysdexic tairy fale, "Rindecella"'. If you were, I assure you that was not my intention. I described it that way, because that is how my friend always introduces it when he performs it. That's all. Jenny |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Stilly River Sage Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:19 AM Dyslexia is a catch-all term for many visual, usually reading-related problems. Go to Mark's post for the clinical end of it. I went through a year of "therapy" which was simply intended to reinforce spelling rules and show me other ways to make the rules stick. Not sitting but walking around while I read, writing on the chaulk board used more motor skills and a different part of the brain than sitting and writing with a pencil. Reading out loud instead of reading silently. The first two jokes were uninformed and weren't about dyslexics--that has been covered. People with disabilities have always been able laugh at themselves, and share the joke with caring individuals. Jonm, the "Santa" joke is an old one, is funny, and you should stop there. The thing about dyslexia is that we don't turn words into nonsense, our brains are swifty trying to make sense of the marks on the page so we turn them into other words. Unless "Vimto" is a brand name somewhere it doesn't make any sense to me and is thus just pushing too hard and reaching a stupid conclusion. I dislike seeing the intentional misspellings to show "insider" status even in this thread--I struggle daily to spell correctly--Hell, I'm an English major with dyslexia, I'm a living breathing oxymoron. When I'm tired my spelling can look like alphabet soup. My handwriting is worse than my typing, because my thoughts race ahead of my pen and I'm not paying close enough attention to those spelling rules (sometimes even writing rules!). Typing more closely approximates the composition speed, so is actually much easier. My favorite dyslexic joke? Dyslexics, Untie!SRS |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: JennyO Date: 13 Oct 03 - 10:19 AM A friend of mine was performing that lysdexic tairy fale, "Rindecella", to a group of elderly people, when he noticed that a woman was standing out the front facing the audience and trying to sign. She had a very puzzled look on her face as she kept looking between him and the audience. They were looking very puzzled too. It turned out that a large proportion of the people in the audience were deaf. Bet that one went down like a lead f**t! Jenny |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rapparee Date: 13 Oct 03 - 09:38 AM If mistyping is dyslexic, then I mush be too. I'm typing this without correcting it, and it really takes some effort of will not do make the kcorrections I feel thould be made. I don't think that I'm dilexic, but that I've always felt that my mind was going too fast for my finger to catch up. I do have another problem, however (I'm correcting now). Some years back I fell while ice skating and suffered not only a concussion, but a paralysis of some of the muscles (upper left oblique, the doctor said) in my left eye. As a result, when I get tired level things like the lines herein t e n d to run horizontal and d r o p off to the right |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 13 Oct 03 - 09:15 AM I make typos like helen, but my probrlmr has been assessed as due to some micro-motor problems - I have no problem reading - except if I am very tired then occassionally I misread a word. With regard in general to jokes about disablities: There is a very funny Australian comedian - "Steady Eddie". He has this name because he is affected with what used to be called palsy. He lacks the ability to control his muscles sufficently to keep still. When he first started, people were horrified, since many of his jokes were about people like himself. When told that his jokes were non-PC, he just laughed, and made comments in the line of "I find them funny". He did a lot ot stop the very PC_ignore_the_disabled attitude toward the disabled of all types. His jokes were sort of along the line of - the bartender telling him that he wouldn't be served any more - why - because he was falling around the place and couldn't stand upright - I haven't had a drink yet, I'm like this all the time. Robin |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Steve Parkes Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:21 AM The original two jokes are in the same league as the one where the diner in a Chinese restaurant says, "Waiter, this chicken is rubbery," and the waiter says, "Thank you belly much." I saw a cartoon years ago (in Computer Weekly, I think): a man is standing outside a door marked "Dyslexics Association"; he wears a badge (button) that says "I [picture of a carrot] NY". Took me a while to figure out. Even politically very incorrect UK comic Bernard Manning (like Roseanne Barr, but without the charm) doesn't do jokes about disabilities; but then he can offend everyone sufficiently without. I've never ever had a problem with letter shapes/order when reading or writing, as long as I can remember; but if my reading/writing was like my typing, [this post has already been corrected!] I'd certainly have a problem. My fingers don't do things in the order I intend them to do (hence my awful guitar playing), and I think it gives me a bit of an insight into what dyslexia is like; I can certainly tell that it's not funny. Steve |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:19 AM Dyslexia lures KO. RtS |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Mooh Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:02 AM There is the dyslexic agnostic insomniac who lays awake every night wondering if there really is a Dog. That's the only one I can remember. Sorry. I didn't find the original jokes offensive or funny either. Oh well. Peace, Mooh. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: jonm Date: 13 Oct 03 - 08:01 AM One of my students was recently assessed due to his difficulties with reading text. When he re-read the report on his condition, he told me how disappointed he was when he discovered he was not eligible for "support for dailysex." His other jokes: did you hear about the dyslexic blues guitarist who went down to the crossroads at midnight and sold his soul to Santa? Many years later, the same guitarist died when he choked on his own Vimto. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Helen Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:57 AM Here is one of the threads about lysdexia. Any dyslexic 'Catters (like me) There is a notice at the bottom which says that the thread is closed. I don't know why. It means that we can't post to it, but it is worth reading, I think. Helen |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Bobert Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:52 AM Yeah, what lots of folks allready said... They seem more like bad "Blond" jokes. Actually, we lexdexics don't have any problems with speech or hearing and probably listen better than the non's. Hearin' is more important to us since we ain't dumb and, like literates, need and want information... And, whoever said it above, yes, lexdexia rules! Save lots o' money on books, too... Bobert |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Ritchie Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:29 AM whoosh ..well done so eloquently put Helen. Now have you heard the one about the man with the bad ssstaammer. Ritchie :) |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Pied Piper Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:26 AM I'm dyslexic and don't find dyslexia jokes offensive, but the too examples just aren't very funny. To broaden out the discussion somewhat. What do you call an epileptic in a pile of leaves? Russell TTFN PP |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Helen Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:17 AM I am dyslexic and I don't find your jokes funny for two reasons. The first is that they are not very funny. I've heard better. The second is that they have nothing to do with dyslexia, as far as I know. I agree with almost all that Mark said (thanks Dr Mark) except to add that dyslexia can present in different forms in different people and I am one of the people who does experience the appearance of reversal of some letters and numbers, and also switching around of syllables or letters within syllables. For example 2 & 5 have always been a problem for me, especially when handwritten or when the font is a bit fancy because if you mirror reverse "2" vertically but not horizontally, i.e. hold a mirror to the top of the number, then it looks a lot like a 5 (if you disregard the straight bit on the left of the 5). Consciously this is not a problem, but when I am reading quickly, and especially if I am thinking on my feet, e.g. reading aloud or transcribing a document, then I tend to read/type it back as the wrong number. There are some words which I always have to stop and think about before I say them because I reverse the syllables. If I am typing (which I do a lot on Mudcat) then I am often backtracking and correcting the words which my brain spits out with letters or syllables in the wrong order. e.g. one of my most common typing mistakes is "becasue" instead of "because" The other problem with typing is that I touch type and I have had to consciously force my hands to remember which one is left and which one is right because it matters which order I press the keys and often if I get closer to automatic pilot with typing that's when I start making more mistakes. Your two jokes rely on two different words being misinterpreted, but as far as I know these are unlikely to be mistaken by dyslexics. "smell" would not be mistaken for "spell", "comedian" would not be mistaken for "chameleon". They are misheard rather than mispelt. The commonly switched around letters are b, d, p, q, & g. If you don't get the reason why, find a mirror and hold it to the side or above or below each letter and see what it looks like in the mirror. We have had an excellent thread on dyslexia here at Mudcat if you want to look it up. There were lots of interesting facts and opinions expressed. I didn't find it offensive when soemone (correct that: someone) told the joke about the atheist dyslexic who didn't believe there is a dog, or the dyslexic who believed in Satan and not Santa. They are funny in a gentle, dyslexic kind of way. There was also a contribution to the thread by someone who was being offensive and who then said that we were overreacting to his/her "humour". So, thank you for asking your question, clansfolk, because it shows that you care about not offending people. I sincerely appreciate your question. Helen |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Ritchie Date: 13 Oct 03 - 07:13 AM jOhn of course you could ..unless they recognised your voice later you could probably get away with it ... the whole issue of 'jokes' and being 'politacally correct' is emotive. Our youngest son is Dyslexic so Mark I understand your frustrations but keep them laughing and smiling and full of confidence...as my friend said to me last week "I was going to ring you on saturday, I was in Tesco and I saw a loaf of bread & it had your name on it, I was going to get you some but when I looked again it did n't ... it said 'thick cut' now who is laughing at who? keep it real Ritchie |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Rt Revd Sir jOhn from Hull Date: 13 Oct 03 - 06:49 AM I agree with the above, ie= I dont find your jokes offensive, their just not funny! Though it is worth bearing in mind that unlike many disabilities, you can not tell if someone is dislexic just by looking at them, so you might end up offending some of your audience without knowing it. If you saw 10 blind people in the audience at your next gig, would you make jokes about blind people? |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Geoff the Duck Date: 13 Oct 03 - 06:43 AM But Mark - If the Joeclones correct your Italics then your second posting becomes gibberish, and you look lke an idiot. Then this posting becomes indecipherable. The fabric of the cyberspace begins to disintegrate in a spiral of confusion, logical self contradictions and my head is starting to hurt... NURSE!!! can I have my pills please... Quack! GtD. What second posting? --JoeClone |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: Mark Cohen Date: 13 Oct 03 - 06:21 AM Nothing...except that they don't have very much to do with dyslexia. Contrary to popular belief, having dyslexia doesn't mean that you can't spell or that you write words or letters backwards. It means that you have significant difficulty learning to read. Here is one definition, used by the International Dyslexia Association and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological* component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities... Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge. *"Phonological" refers to the process of "breaking down" a word into its component parts, or phonemes, which are then matched to written symbols. Sorry to get so technical, but it's part of my job, and a bit of a sore point at times. To answer your question from my own perspective, I don't think those particular jokes are very offensive, but using the word "dyslexia" in this context perpetuates the confusion about this disorder. Still, I know I'm unlikely to change the popular perception, just as I'm unlikely to get people to stop saying "disinterested" when they mean "uninterested," or "reticent" when they mean "reluctant". (For what it's worth, "reticent" means "hesitant or reluctant to speak," so "reticent to speak" is a phrase from the Department of Redundancy Department!) Aloha, Mark OK, I'll go back to sleep now... |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 13 Oct 03 - 06:16 AM Not funny. I don't mean they aren't funny because the are distasteful or so forth - but they just don't seem the least bit funny to me. |
|
Subject: RE: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: GUEST Date: 13 Oct 03 - 06:12 AM The only thing that I find offensive is that they don't describe dyslexia. Dyslexia is concerned with spelling and reading the written word, not misunderstanding the spoken word. Dyslexics rule KO |
|
Subject: dyslexia jokes offensive? From: clansfolk Date: 13 Oct 03 - 05:48 AM I personally find a funny joke a funny joke irrelevant of the subject, recently I heard a couple of dyslexia jokes which I have told as part of the act - which have always gone down well..... but I wonder how many people would be offended by them?? 1) One dyslexic turned to the other and said "can you smell gas" - the other replied "don't be silly I can't even smell my own name!" 2) The entertainer arrived at the dyslexics club and was asked what he did "I'm a comedian" he replied. The club secretary watched him closely for a few minutes and then said "go on then...... change colour" Now what's wrong with them??? |
| Share Thread: |
