Just a joke

{{cquote|Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows, so is one who deceives a neighbor and says, "I am only joking!"|||{{bible|Proverbs|26|18|19}} (NRSVUE)}}
{{logic}}
'''Just a joke''', '''just joking''', '''just kidding''', or '''just satire''', among many other variations, are phrases used to excuse harmful or [[Bigotry|bigoted]] statements and actions as mere jokes. These statements are attempts to exploit [[Poe's law]], because it's often hard to distinguish genuine belief from parody. [[:Category:Trolls|Trolls]] are well known for using this defense. A user of these types of arguments is sometimes derisively referred to as a '''Schrödinger's [[Fun:Asshole|douchebag]]''',<ref>[https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Schr%C3%B6dinger%27s%20Douchebag%5D Schrödinger's Douchebag] (December 24, 2020) ''Urban Dictionary''.</ref> because like [[Schrödinger's cat|the thought experiment]], they are either sincere or joking depending upon the reaction to their statements or actions.

It should go without saying, but it's being said here just this once that the best humorists never feel compelled to give way and say that what they said was 'just a joke' or similar such variants. This is true from Jonathan Swift's ''A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People from Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick'' to [[Mark Twain]]'s [[satire]] to Paul Krassner's ''The Realist'' (which intermixed real and satirical articles, forcing the reader to unpack them)<ref>''Best of the Realist'' by Paul Krassner (1984) Running Press. ISBN ISBN 089471287X.</ref> to the films ''Eat the Rich''<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092944/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Eat the Rich] ''IMDb''.</ref> and ''[[Blazing Saddles]]''. If a person needs to be told that ''A Modest Proposal'' was satire, then there's a good chance that the person 1) is a [[cannibal]], or 2) has cannibalistic tendencies, or 3) is too dense to understand satire even when told.

In the case of 'just a joke' as used here, however, it is not the recipient who lacks understanding; rather, it is the [[deceit]] of the speaker in not admitting bigotry.

==Form==
{{ab|(Bigoted or harmful statement)|That statement is bigoted|It's just a joke/satire, man.}}

==Problems==
One problem with this defense is that a statement "actually" being a joke [[False dichotomy|does not mean]] it can't be bigoted or otherwise harmful, as they can perpetuate and reinforce negative [[stereotype]]s and beliefs. [[Minstrel show]]s, for example, are technically comedic and they frequently used [[stereotypes]] of [[African-Americans]] to obtain their "humor". Because minstrel shows were extremely popular, stereotypes that originated there could spread to a wider audience, reinforcing them. 

Another problem is that what is "obviously" a joke to you might not be obvious to other people. This is an indication that the 'joke' is just not funny.

==Why people use this argument==
People use this argument because it implies that a statement should not be taken seriously, making their critics look humorless.

Occasionally, if rarely, it's even true and justified: The joke in question is being [[quote mining|quote mined]] and stripped of context, or vital humorous context was lost in translation (as can frequently happen when voice is set down in text), or similar; alternately, a joke is badly misinterpreted as being about something it's not (e.g., a joke about monkeys, in a context of discussing actual members of the suborder ''Haplorhini'', being misinterpreted out of context as being about black people, for example).

It has been noted that [[conservatives]] and the [[far-right]] are far more likely to use and get away with this argument than [[liberals]] and [[mainstream media]].<ref name=monbiot>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/10/right-progressive-societies-joke-glastonbury-starve-benefit-rod-liddle-lewis-schaffer How does the right tear down progressive societies? It starts with a joke] by George Monbiot (11 Jul 2025 08.12 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> An explanation for this is that it is a form of strategic mainstreaming because "far-right content presented seriously achieved limited reach, as did non-political humour. But when far-right extremism was presented humorously, it took off."<ref name=monbiot/>

==Dealing with this argument==
One way to deal with this argument is to point out any of the above problems. Another way is to ask the person making the joke to explain it, forcing them to restate it in plain language. This would then make the joker (and the audience) reflect on what was said. Additionally, [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DontExplainTheJoke being forced to explain a joke makes it less funny], if it ever was. These two factors make it less likely that they repeat the joke.<ref name=unpacking>[https://theinclusionsolution.me/unpacking-the-conversations-that-matter-its-just-a-joke-why-are-you-so-upset/ Unpacking the Conversations that Matter: “It’s just a joke! Why are you so upset?”] by Leigh Morrison. November 21, 2019, ''The Inclusion Solution''</ref> 

==Examples==
This is far from an exhaustive list.

===Alt-right===
The [[alt-right]] and other [[white nationalist]]s frequently say [[racist]] things and retroactively decide they are "just kidding" or "joking" when criticized for them.<ref>[https://www.npr.org/2021/04/26/990274685/how-extremists-weaponize-irony-to-spread-hate How Extremists Weaponize Irony To Spread Hate] By Tom Dreisbach April 26, 2021 ''NPR''</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20230205034045/https://www.radicalrightanalysis.com/2018/08/29/just-joking-is-no-joke-how-the-alt-right-really-communicates-online/ “Just joking” is no joke: How the Alt-right really communicates online] by Mathew Feldman August 29, 2018 ''Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right''</ref> This behavior in combination with the general alt-right opposition to [[Alt-right glossary#Countersignal|countersignaling]] (criticizing people further to the right of oneself),<ref name=reeve>''Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics'' by Elle Reeve (2024) ISBN 1982198893.</ref> leads people towards a downward spiral.

===Gamergate===
{{main|Gamergate}}
The so-called "Woke Detector" [[webshite]] which collates games from the "Woke Content Detector" Steam group complete with details said group deems to be too [[woke]] for their tastes put up a disclaimer claiming that they are not associated with the group and the site "was made as a joke", yet it could certainly be just another textbook example of Schrödinger's douchebaggery in action.<ref>[https://wokedetector.cirnoslab.me how WOKE are your games???]</ref>

===Donald Trump===
[[Donald Trump]] is a prolific user of this tactic, with examples stretching back at least to 2016.<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/times-donald-trump-sarcastic-misinterpreted/story?id=41328374 6 Times Donald Trump Says He's Been 'Sarcastic' or 'Misinterpreted'] by ABC news (yes really, that's what's been credited) August 13 2016 ''ABC news''</ref> The most egregious example was when he said [[Covid-19 pandemic#Disinfectants and ultraviolet|his remarks]] about injecting bleach into oneself to cure COVID-19 were "sarcastic".<ref>[https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-he-was-being-sarcastic-comments-about-injecting-disinfectants-n1191991 Trump says he was being sarcastic with comments about injecting disinfectants] By Jane C. Timm, April 24 2020 ''NBC News''</ref>

===Fiction===
Sometimes, if a work of fiction or aspect of a work is received poorly, the creator of the work may retroactively declare it a parody<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ParodyRetcon Parody Retcon], accessed 30 March 2024, ''TV Tropes''.</ref> or as being intentional all along.<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DeliberateFlawRetcon Deliberate Flaw Retcon], accessed 30 March 2024, ''TV Tropes''.</ref> This completely ignores the fact that it is possible to do a parody poorly.<ref>See:
*The works of {{wpl|Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer}} (two 0% scores on rotten tomatoes, one 1%, two 2%, and one 4%, oof)
</ref>

==Irony poisoning==
'''Irony poisoning''' is when a belief once not sincerely held (i.e held "[[Irony|ironic]]ally") by a person now is. The idea goes that if somebody is exposed to [[memes]] and content about something like [[9/11]] or the [[Holocaust]], they become [[Desensitization|desensitized]]. This erodes [[taboo]]s and makes it easier for [[extremist]] ideas to take root.<ref>[https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/deadly-serious-ex-neo-nazi-and-iron-march-user-speaks-out-on-de-radicalization-1.4713822 'Deadly serious': Ex neo-Nazi and Iron March user speaks out on de-radicalization] by Christy Somos (December 4, 2019 8:30AM EST) ''CTV News''.</ref><ref>[https://static.nytimes.com/email-content/INT_4981.html Should We All Be Taking ‘Irony Poisoning’ More Seriously?] by Max Fisher & Amanda Taub (August 23, 2018) ''The New York Times''.</ref><ref>[https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/what-is-the-diagolon-extremist-group-and-what-does-it-want-1.5785646 What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want?] by Christy Somos (Feb. 17, 2022 12:14 p.m. PST) ''CTV News''.</ref> This explains a lot about the alt-right infesting places like [[4Chan]], ultimately culminating in shit like [[Gamergate]].

==See also==
*[[Alt-right glossary#Free helicopter rides]]
*[[Cancel culture]]

==External links==
*[https://www.splcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/peril-not-just-joke.pdf ''Not Just a Joke: Understanding & Preventing Gender- & Sexuality-Based Bigotry''] by the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]
*Inside Higher Ed, "[https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/mama-phd/just-joking-defense The Just Joking Defense]"
*Medium, "[https://relationshipsdw.medium.com/don-t-take-it-so-seriously-it-s-just-a-joke-or-is-it-1e6819e96555 Don’t Take It So Seriously, It’s Just A Joke — Or Is It?]"
*The Conversation, "[https://theconversation.com/its-just-a-joke-the-subtle-effects-of-offensive-language-62440 ‘It’s just a joke’: the subtle effects of offensive language]"
*The Guardian, "[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/20/cant-you-take-a-joke-love-why-the-banter-isnt-funny-anymore Can't you take a joke, love? Why the 'banter' isn't funny any more]"
*risk(within)reason, "[https://www.risk-within-reason.com/2013/01/18/just-a-joke-and-things-bullies-say/ “It was just a joke!” How bullies blame their victims]"
*Childnet, "[https://www.childnet.com/resources/just-a-joke/ Just a joke?]"
*MediaSmarts.ca, "[https://mediasmarts.ca/teacher-resources/just-joke-helping-youth-respond-casual-prejudice Just a joke? Helping youth respond to casual prejudice]"
*[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4659767/ “They Were Just Making Jokes”: Ethnic/Racial Teasing and Discrimination Among Adolescents]
*[https://www.salon.com/2017/07/05/it-wasnt-just-for-the-lulz-bigoted-trolls-cant-get-away-with-claiming-they-were-just-kidding/ It wasn't just for the lulz: Bigoted trolls can't get away with claiming they were just kidding: Did the guy who made the Trump-CNN video "apologize"? Nope — like his hero, he just made lame, insulting excuses]
*[https://www.jstor.org/stable/42888362 Humour and hatred: the racist jokes of the Ku Klux Klan]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Clichéed sayings]]
[[Category:Comedy]]
[[Category:Deceit]]
[[Category:Fallacious arguments]]
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Trolls]]

Categories: Clichéed sayings, Comedy, Deceit, Fallacious arguments, Language, Trolls