Jokes are funny, right? Jokes are funny all the time except for when they aren't? When aren't jokes funny? These questions often arise between myself and a buddy when talking about the nature of comedy and what's deemed "appropriate." Everyone might not find your joke funny, but every joke is funny to someone. For some reference, here are the three things that it's best not to joke about.
1. Death
Death is a sticky situation that you don't want to get caught up in. What's harmless humor to one can be demoralizing for another person still in mourning. Death jokes often never get good reception and in most situations, you'll look more like an insensitive bastard than a King/Queen of comedy. Even if your select few friends found the jokes about death funny, I wouldn't advise using them in a routine or in everyday small talk.
2. Rape
Rape is another topic that you really can't joke about. Although some people may for one reason or another find your joke humorous, you're only going to start an argument that you ultimately cannot win. Issues that are still going on often aren't humorous, and rape is a touchy subject for most people. Many live through rape, and never speak of the incident again. Most crude comedians have even eliminated such jokes from their act, because overall, these jokes just aren't seen as funny often enough.
3. Physical/Mental Defects
You cannot make fun of a person that suffers from mental/physical defects. Some examples such as mental retardation and cerebral palsy often come to mind. Some comedic acts such as Welven The Great and A-Town have allowed many people the freedom to do such a thing to these types of people, however, this lane of "comedy" is often taboo.
Staying away from these three types of jokes should save you embarrassment and from having an uncomfortable conversation. There are probably some other taboo topics that I missed, however, these three are often the top three that most people agree are not to be joked about. There are comedians such as Corey Holcomb and Arie Spears whom I listen to that may have some highly questionable jokes, however, I wouldn't follow that lead. Keep your jokes wholesome, funny, and relatable.
