Jokes often have a target and David Cameron has been in the news for aiming his jokes at John Bercow. I think one of the jokes is quite funny but does John Bercow agree? Is he hurt by the joke? Does it matter? Well some readers may be saying "of course it matters" and others may disagree. If a joke is funny then let's tell it. The problem is that not all jokes are funny and some are just insults.
A Lancaster city councillor has been suspended for calling a fellow councillor "a catty girl with a ponytail" and refusing to apologise. Maybe it wasn't a joke but that makes it even worse. It is an insult to use those words about a woman. It is even worse as the councillor is male with long hair.
We should obviously steer clear of insults but we should also avoid jokes that hurt. The joke about John Bercow is funny to me, but is it funny to him? The joke could still be funny without naming a target. The speaker comes across as someone who is doing his best in an impossible situation. It's a pity our politicians behave like children but at least he is doing his bit to control them.
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