# Sexist joke or just lame?



## .   1

G'day Cultur@s,
The meaning of the following joke is being discussed in the English forum but the accusation has been made that the joke is sexist.  I seek your opinions.  

"I'm telling you, brother, having your picture here is like being given a license to mint pussy."
Another says: "Mint pussy? One of the worst Ben & Jerry flavors of all time." And everybody cracks up.

Is this joke sexist?


.,,


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## TRG

I'm not sure if it's sexists or not, but the punch line is certainly funny. I am curious about the context of the joke. What is the first line of the joke about?


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## .   1

Sorry mate,
I don't know.
Have a quick squiz at;
http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=392913
You may be able to find it from there.

.,,


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## loladamore

I think the joke could be described as in bad taste (every pun intended), and it is perhaps sexist because of the context (men demeaning women).
On the other hand, it is pretty funny, and I tried switching it round in my head, putting it in the mouth of lesbians (again, every pun intended), and realised why it is sexist and potentially offensive to women. 
Among lesbians, I think the punchline could have been:



> "Mint pussy? One of the *best* Ben & Jerry flavors of all time."


 
That made me laugh more, and I don't think that would have been sexist. Vulgar and gross (perhaps), like the original joke, but no longer sexist.

I think.


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## boardslide315

Any use of the word 'pussy' is going to be offensive to most women. And I can't imagine a professional comedian saying something like that--any joke that requires more than a half second of thought automatically loses its spice IMO.


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## jess oh seven

Of course I don't represent all women, but I don't find the usage of "pussy" offensive. Is it offensive to some because it represents a part of the female anatomy, or because it's a coarse way of saying "vagina"?? Would it have been less "offensive" if the proper anatomical term were used?  I'm not a fan of most of the slang that exists to mean "vagina", but these words don't _offend _me or anger me in any way.

To me, a sexist joke would be along the lines of:
- "Why did the woman cross the road?"
- "Cross the road? Why was she out of the kitchen?"

Jokes that demean and play on archaic stereotypes in that way are, to me, sexist.


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## boardslide315

jess oh seven said:


> Is it offensive to some because it represents a part of the female anatomy, or because it's a coarse way of saying "vagina"??



Well, a bit of both I'd assume--you don't resent the idea of a man trying to get with a woman only for that single part of her?


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## jess oh seven

boardslide315 said:


> Well, a bit of both I'd assume--you don't resent the idea of a man trying to get with a woman only for that single part of her?


Name one man who hasn't thought of any woman in a solely sexual way. I can't change mankind!


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## boardslide315

jess oh seven said:


> Name one man who hasn't thought of any woman in a solely sexual way.



Even if Romeo was really just in it for the tang, at least he tried to make it sound like there was something more. Ya'll should appreciate the effort.

There are still some romantics out there I'm sure, I know you haven't really lost hope


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## Paulfromitaly

boardslide315 said:


> Even if Romeo was really just in it for the tang, at least he tried to make it sound like *pretended that* there was something more.



That's the secret of quality wolves..


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## loladamore

jess oh seven said:


> Is it offensive to some because it represents a part of the female anatomy, or because it's a coarse way of saying "vagina"??


 
I think the point is that the same word is used for both, implying that a woman = a vagina, rather than just happens to have one. 

I know I've been away for a while, but I think that the word 'pussy' is used a lot less in the UK than in the US, especially in the sense intended here. It sounds like a silly word to me, rather than particularly offensive. It makes me think of Mrs Slocombe (from 'Are you being served'). But there you go.

Offense, like humour, can be quite subjective.


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## Bonjules

jess oh seven said:


> Of course I don't represent all women, but I don't find the usage of "pussy" offensive. Is it offensive to some because it represents a part of the female anatomy, or because it's a coarse way of saying "vagina"??


 
I agree with everything jess is saying ( I don't think it is 'sexist', but certainly coarse), except for the semantics of 'pussy'.   Most people will probably associate the term in a general way with the female genital anatomy. If you get more specific, however( anatomically speaking), the association the term suggests points more to external parts thereof, as does the old English equivalent
('vulva'). At least this is how it always felt to me.
Maybe this should revert to "English only'?


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## Athaulf

. said:


> G'day Cultur@s,
> The meaning of the following joke is being discussed in the English forum but the accusation has been made that the joke is sexist.  I seek your opinions.
> 
> "I'm telling you, brother, having your picture here is like being given a license to mint pussy."
> Another says: "Mint pussy? One of the worst Ben & Jerry flavors of all time." And everybody cracks up.
> 
> Is this joke sexist?



I'd say it's good, although I find the first sentence as the funniest part, rather than the punch line.  Of course, it's vulgar and one should obviously be careful with it for that reason.  However, people who find jokes like this as seriously evil and supposedly reflecting some deep moral flaws of people who tell them (which is the message normally conveyed by labels such as "sexist") are certainly devoid of any sense of humor. Personally, I'm not offended at all by various "sexist" jokes and sayings aimed my sex, of which I've heard and read quite a lot.


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## Athaulf

boardslide315 said:


> Any use of the word 'pussy' is going to be offensive to most women.



 In my neck of the woods, I've heard women using this word on a number of occasions, as well as its various synonyms of similar vulgarity, and I haven't observed any particular negative reactions to hearing it either. All this is under the assumption that these words are used in appropriate contexts, of course, but then one wouldn't mention the equivalent medical terms without a good reason either. In fact, the only unconditionally offensive synonym for "pussy" I can think of at the moment is the C-word.


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## nieyt

Athaulf said:


> I'd say it's good, although I find the first sentence as the funniest part, rather than the punch line.


I thought the same, mainly because I didn't have a clue what "Ben & Jerry" referred to until I read the other thread. Sounds like a pretty nice flavour if you ask me.

In the original thread someone said that the first line "is absurd and only exists to allow the pun in the second line", but I don't agree. I'd say it's more a case of saying things as they are, in a humourous way.

I don't see why the joke is sexist just because it uses the word "pussy".


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## sloopjc

. said:


> G'day Cultur@s,
> The meaning of the following joke is being discussed in the English forum but the accusation has been made that the joke is sexist.  I seek your opinions.
> 
> "I'm telling you, brother, having your picture here is like being given a license to mint pussy."
> Another says: "Mint pussy? One of the worst Ben & Jerry flavors of all time." And everybody cracks up.
> 
> Is this joke sexist?



_And everybody cracks up. _Except the women in the room because there weren't any. For those who would like more context, this is not a _joke_, joke - as in a joke that exists in real life. It is dialogue from a TV show whereby two firemen in a group are discussing how being a fireman in a calendar will reap benefits for their libido. Only coins are minted. Coins are essentially _struck_ - this is the correct terminology. Now consider the word struck and all its synonyms, and perhaps you'll see things clearer. Perhaps coins are being "banged out" on a production line near you! The "joke" in the dialogue occurs when another fire officer retorts: _"One of the worst Ben & Jerry flavors of all time." _Thus, he breaks any tension in the room. The question: "Is this a sexist joke?" is misleading. It's TV dialogue. The question is: "Were the two firemen discussing, "_minting pussy_" being sexist?


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## cuchuflete

sloopjc said:
			
		

> The question: "Is this a sexist joke?" is misleading. It's TV dialogue. The question is: "Were the two firemen discussing, "_minting pussy_" being sexist?


No, Sloopjc, the question on* your *mind is the behavior of the firemen.  The question posed in this thread is whether the joke is sexist or lame.   You are welcome to open another thread to discuss whether people using
certain kinds of language are being sexist, but that is another topic.   

The joke, whether you like it or not, whether you find it humorous or not, includes a term that is
—vulgar
—colloquial
—crude
—common
— not sexist

The joke is (the first one)
—vulgar
—not sexist
—lame

The second joke is goofy, and in no way sexist. It's a funny play on the naming conventions used by an ice cream company.

The first joke says, if you were to have your picture in this calender, you would get a lot of sex.
Having a lot of sex as a result of being pictured in a calendar is not sexist.


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## sloopjc

To *mint* pussy? It's part of the lame joke. Let others decide if it's sexist. I'm surprised at how little constructive criticism for it not being sexist there is. The truth, whether _you_ like it or not, is that *minting*, or to *mint* in my opinion, is a derogatory and male chauvinistic piece of slang. vis-a-vis sexist.


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## TRG

I had never heard the expression "minting pussy" before now and it strikes me as a contrived phrase in this instance just to set up the punch line. I would also add that the word pussy tends towards sexist in that men tend to use it in a way that reduces women to nothing but that part of their anatomy. It really depends on the context and intent.


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## TRG

sloopjc said:


> To *mint* pussy? It's part of the lame joke. Let others decide if it's sexist. I'm surprised at how little constructive criticism for it not being sexist there is. The truth, whether _you_ like it or not, is that *minting*, in my opinion, is a derogatory and male chauvinistic piece of slang. vis-a-vis sexist.


 
Isn't this what you really meant to say? I agree to some extent, but this sort of sexism is an almost universal part of the male psyche. So we are all sexist, but some of us manage it better than others.


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## sloopjc

This is a link to the full context for anyone interested. As I said earlier, it's not a standalone joke. It was concocted from the following TV dialogue:

http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cach...ex-1.html+mint+pussy&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=es

It is so lame yes, but it doesn't make it _not_ sexist on the grounds of the thread title.


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## sloopjc

TRG said:


> I agree to some extent, but *this sort of sexism* is an almost universal part of the male psyche. So we are all sexist, but some of us manage it better than others.



 "I was only joking sexism?" 

To *mint*, in this context, can only suggest the notion of having sex with so many women in such a short time, or should that be, "with so much pussy" that you are striking them out like coins. That's a male chauvinistic attitude.


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## JamesM

It seems that "sexist" gets used in many ways, so I'm not sure I can say whether this is "sexist" or not.  In my opinion, it is extremely demeaning to any human being, no matter what gender, to speak of them as being nothing more than a sexual organ.  It discounts the rest of the human being.  That type of demeaning treatment is either sexist or not, depending on your definition of "sexist."


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## sloopjc

I agree with that, JamesM. I've expressed why I think the joke is sexist on the basis of its unsavoury content. A joke isn't a joke without the input of someone conjuring up an inherently offensive vision, in this case. Are we to supposed to conclude that the joke is not in itself sexist, but telling it would be?


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## konungursvia

. said:


> G'day Cultur@s,
> The meaning of the following joke is being discussed in the English forum but the accusation has been made that the joke is sexist.  I seek your opinions.
> 
> &quot;I'm telling you, brother, having your picture here is like being given a license to mint pussy.&quot;
> Another says: &quot;Mint pussy? One of the worst Ben & Jerry flavors of all time.&quot; And everybody cracks up.
> 
> Is this joke sexist?
> 
> 
> .,,



  By North American standards, it would be acceptable among a group of men who knew each other, but in mixed company, or on a public forum, it would be considered sexist because it objectifies women through the synechdoche "pussy".  Women would normally find this offensive.


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## sloopjc

cuchuflete said:


> The question posed in this thread is whether the joke is sexist or lame. You are welcome to open another thread to discuss whether people using certain kinds of language are being sexist, but that is another topic.



Starting a new thread may be the way to highlight the sexist nature of the verb usage: "to *mint* pussy". Fortunately for me, I've not the time or the inclination to debase the Cultural Discussions forum with similar subject matter.  The thread asks quite clearly:

* Is this joke sexist?*

I said yes - and I gave my opinion as to why.

Your rhetoric -  _Having a lot of sex as a result of being pictured in a calendar is not sexist.

_How was this sentiment conveyed in the joke?

A license to mint pussy

The verb usage conveys 'having a lot of sex' - of course it does, but the _implications_ inherent in the verb are not so uplifting and exciting as having a lot of sex, when the vision created is a vulgar one, so I reckon there's a veil being drawn somewhere.


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## .   1

sloopjc said:


> For those who would like more context, this is not a _joke_, joke - as in a joke that exists in real life. It is dialogue from a TV show blah blah blah


This will explain a lot of your more interesting posts.
I must point out to you that some television shows take liberties with reality and should not be used as a template upon which to base your life.
Of course this was a joke but you will have your way.
You have objected to this joke because it was derrogatory then sexist then lame then childish then not fit to be discussed because this is a family forum and now you claim that it is not a joke.
You now complain because it raises images of men creating stand alone vaginas but to do this you must needs enter the realm of the absurd yet you criticize the joke for being absurd.
My suspicion is that you have just revealed yourself as a blind man criticising a painting just because it feels flat and is not really real.
I have a deep suspicion about men who make too many sexist allegations in a stated attempt to protect the 'ladies' and then base this on their selfloathing of the male gender.  I have always preferred the company of women who could stand upon their own rear legs when required to do so.

.,,


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## .   1

sloopjc said:


> The question is: "Were the two firemen discussing, "_minting pussy_" being sexist?


So this raises another question for me about a member who claims to be a white bloke but chooses a black pussy as his avatar.
Does this indicate a desire to be female?
Does this indicate a desire to be black?
Does this indicate a desire for a female?
Does this indicate a desire for a black pussy?
Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy.
Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy and desire another black pussy?
Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy and desire a black stud?
Is the choice of avatar in this case sexist or racist or both or is the choice of avatar a harmless joke?

.,,


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## sloopjc

. said:


> So this raises another question for me about a member who claims to be a white bloke but chooses a black pussy as his avatar.
> Does this indicate a desire to be female?
> Does this indicate a desire to be black?
> Does this indicate a desire for a female?
> Does this indicate a desire for a black pussy?
> Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy.
> Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy and desire another black pussy?
> Does this indicate a desire to be a black pussy and desire a black stud?
> Is the choice of avatar in this case sexist or racist or both or is the choice of avatar a harmless joke?
> 
> .,,



Sorry, I don't not what your point is here. You need help perhaps?


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## .   1

sloopjc said:


> Sorry, I don't knowt what your point is here. You need help perhaps?


You have stated that you find this joke offensive because of the reference to pussy which can be deemed as being offensive to women yet you have a black pussy as your avatar and I was seeking an analysis of the reasons for your choice as it is possible to interpret the choice of a black pussy by a white bloke as being odd.

.,,


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## sloopjc

. said:


> You have stated that you find this joke offensive because of the reference to pussy whcih can be deemed as being offensive to women yet you have a black pussy as your avatar and I was seeking an analysis of the reasons for your choice as it is possible to interpret the choice of a black pussy by a white bloke as being odd.
> 
> .,,



You want to know about my cat? I'd love to! Send me your email address! (off-topic, I know)


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## .   1

sloopjc said:


> You want to know about my cat? I'd love to! Send me your email address! (off-topic, I know)


Now you are just pretending to be thick in order to avoid answering my question that I initially thought was a joke question but now your reluctance to address the issue makes me wonder.

I have to warn you that it is foolish to give private e-mail addresses to strangers. I tried to send a PM but yours is broken.

Is there a significance for your choice of a pussy as an avatar in a thread where you are bitching about a joke about a pussy?

.,,


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## zebedee

This thread has de-railed badly and is no longer in line with the WR Philosophy, namely:



> The WordReference Forums Guidelines
> Mission Statement
> 
> I. WordReference.com provides Forums for exchanges about translation, word usage, terminology equivalency and other linguistic topics.
> 
> II. The Forums promote learning and *maintain an atmosphere that is serious, academic and collaborative, with a respectful, helpful and cordial tone. *
> 
> III. We welcome members who share our goals and philosophy, and agree to act in accord with the rules and guidelines of the Forums.



If anyone still wishes to debate sexism, please take your pick from the following threads:

Forum Search "sexism"

Thank you.


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