Black people love us

Johnny and Sally's Black people love us site was mentioned briefly at the end of another post, but I think it's deserving of a bit more recognition and perhaps debate.

It's clear to me that this site is taking the piss out of people who associate with certain groups as a tokenistic demonstration of being seen to be doing what is right. Essentially, it's having a laugh at the expense of the "Racist? But some of my best mates are black/gay/Asian" brigade.

So why don't people get it? Why are people so consumed with their own prejudices that they can't see when others are trying to use humour to break down stereotypes?

Take this letter that was posted on the site:

That websites a joke right? If not I have to say I'm sort of appalled and EMBARRASSED by what I'm reading here. You make a WEBSITE dedicated to the fact that you happen to have black friends? Let me ask you this, if you think that having black friends is novelty enough that you'd make a corny poorly designed website dedicated to it.... you're singling out black people as somehow being different enough that it's strange for whites to befriend them. That as far as I'm concerned is a form of racism. By the way, the pictures that you've plastered all over your site are ridiculous. Unless this is in fact a joke site, I feel that you've basically eliminated all your credibility.

--Arkera

~ Being a good writer is 3% talent, 97% not being distracted by the internet ~

What is wrong with people?

Surely tackling prejudices must start with getting rid of stereotypes and one of the best ways of doing this is through humour. Take the UK TV sitcom "Till death us do part" and its sequel "In sickness and in health". These comedies' main character was the racist bigot, Alf Garnett, who spouted out all the worst racist insults you can imagine. It could've been misconstrued as being offensive, but it actually took the piss out of the racists and showed them for the fools that they are.

I give up with some people. But then again, having had it implied that I'm a racist simply because I take the piss out of Asian and black colleagues as well as white ones (you're not supposed to take the piss out of black or Asian people) I see that the world has a long way to go.