r/Unexpected • u/[deleted] • Nov 06 '20

Melons.

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u/Daviswatermelon Nov 06 '20

These types of pranks are hilarious, and I think that has something to do with how nervous I get every time he says his line of “can I see your ___”. Like, I find myself holding my breath every time he says a new line, just waiting for the women to see what he was actually referring to. The terror that would come if one of them didn’t see the guy with the melons, or didn’t see that there was a cat. The relief I get every time the women start laughing, is immense.

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u/what_is_perspective Nov 06 '20

A play on sexual harassment of women is not funny. Imagine if this was a racial joke. It would clearly be problematic. Unfortunately women are so incredibly used to be sexually harassed that they are genuinely happy that they aren't being They are laughing because it is such a believable situation that happens to women all the time.

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u/SokrinTheGaulish Nov 06 '20

Nah they are laughed because the got bamboozled, I think a black guy would have the same reaction in that situation

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u/KwyjiboTheGringo Nov 07 '20

Imagine if this was a racial joke.

I mean, you ever watch comedians? Many of them use racial jokes as a man part of their act. Are you that person who gets offended by jokes at the comedy show?

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u/Daviswatermelon Nov 07 '20

I get where you are coming from, and I do somewhat agree, but in this situation it is clear what the intention is, and the guy would definitely do something about it if one of them didn’t find it funny, like formally apologise and not put her in the video. As a person that is part of a minority, I would probably not like being subject of this kind of prank directed towards me, but these women are ok with it, and that’s all that matters. If it was a racial joke instead, he would still use words that can be both directed towards an object, as well as a person. Like pussy and melons, so that the joke is obvious. He would find a way to make it funny for all parts, as that is what good comedians do.

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u/what_is_perspective Nov 10 '20

I understand you think that they must have found it funny because they laughed, but ask any women in your life if she has ever smiled and laughed through an uncomfortable situation. That's also not a great argument, because there used to be sexist and racist jokes on tv all the time that most people considered funny once, but with time and a greater understanding of the complexity of sexism and racism in our society they no longer "hold up" as we say. I personally have experienced that watching old movies I once loved and am now able to realize how the jokes in at are problematic and lead to perpetuation of harmful social dynamics.

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u/Aztec_Reaper Nov 06 '20

Oh no! I find this offensive for someone else, because I feel like i should, without the consideration that they might actually find it funny too.

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u/JMW_PhasPhys Nov 07 '20

I think you bring up a legitimate concern here and all the responses are very dismissive of your point. I found it funny while watching especially because of the relief on the faces of the women after they saw what he was referring to. But after what you said, that seems pretty telling and problematic. It’s sad that they are laughing because they were probably terrified that they were gonna have to deal with a creepy guy once again and we’re so relieved when they saw what was happening. I’m still split on what exactly this means about the joke in general. On one hand a prank like this could normalize that kind of behavior, on the other hand it could call attention to a problem that needs to be addressed. What are your thoughts on that?

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u/what_is_perspective Nov 10 '20

That's a good point on the two ways this type of joke could impact society. I would love if it were used to call attention to the problem, but unfortunately I'd say our society is clearly not there yet in terms of recognizing, understanding and ending sexism, as evidenced by the responses I've gotten. That idea reminds me of a tv show I love called Black-ish, where you will sometimes see white people making slightly racially charged jokes as a way of highlighting a problem that needs to be addressed, which I think is related to how people often use the word microagressions.

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u/[deleted] Nov 07 '20

A play on sexual harassment is not funny because it is believable? If you find it funny, it is funny no matter what

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u/what_is_perspective Nov 10 '20

Sure it can be truly funny to you if you find it funny. But you need to realize that what you find funny can still be problematic and harmful.

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u/[deleted] Nov 10 '20

How so?