So I went to see Protest The Hero on Friday night. Great set, not the most energetic I've seen 'em, but still impressive and crazy. Anyway, they wound up playing second-to-last, and a "Local" band from a neighboring city played last. I figured I would stick around and check out a few of their songs, get my money's worth. They were apparently very Misfits / Samhain - esque.

As this band took their sweet time setting up, the singer wasted time on the mic. He eventually got to a point where he wanted to tell a joke. He repeatedly warned that the joke was "very tasteless" and asked if the crowd (which had thinned to a handful of mostly drunk stragglers) if he should tell it. Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that of course the audience is going to goad him to tell the joke. Finally, he did. It was a tasteless, borderline offensive joke attributing the sinking of the titanic on Jews. It mainly made a reference to "Iceberg" sounding like a Jewish name. No big deal, right?

Then, a guy standing close to the stage says he has a "Jewish joke" and asks if he can have the mic. The singer gives it to him. He proceeds to tell a joke that I will not repeat. Suffice to say it was directly racist, offensive and referenced the holocaust. I was dumbfounded. I was looking around, trying to figure out if this was for real. Other people around me were looking similarly uncomfortable. Meanwhile, there were others who were laughing at the joke?!

Another bystander grabs the mic and tells a joke of the same nature and theme. More laughter. More disbelief and uncertainty around me. Some anger, too. Some one looks at me and says "Are they fucking serious?"

I'd heard enough. I wasn't sticking around. I don't need to be around that kind of meatheadedness and negativity. I left. Others followed suit.

If I'm drunk enough? I throw the first full beverage I can find at the stage and leave immediately. Hopefully the rest of the room follows suit.

Assholes. Write in to the local paper about it.

I'd've bailed. Seems like said local band has a "following".

The singer said his joke was tasteless, and goaded the audience into allowing him to tell it....

Guess the 'following' figured it was OK to unleas their own brand of hate... the singer should have stepped in though and drew some sort of line between tasteless and what could be really construed as mean....

i like a good tasteless joke, but there is a difference....

Good Gawd, that's bizarre/horrible.

I would've called the bar the next day to let them know I wouldn't ever be coming back, as well.

Yeah, I'd leave after a few jokes.

I understand I'm potenitally opening a can of worms here, but where do you guys think mark the drawing line for this? Apparently, the "Iceberg" joke was "borderline-offensive" but subsequent jokes weren't. What's the difference?

Similary, why to we deplore the state of rampant child mongering while laughing at "PooPoo Bear vs. Ticklemonster" jokes and Michael Jackson?

We don't make jokes at the expense of the victims. You don't hear people poking fun at [insert name of child here that Jackson molested]. We make light of the monster that is Jackson. Similarly, it is fine to insult and make fun of the Nazis. But again, when it comes to the victims... it's just not right. And by and large, I don't think the general, "enlightened" populace targets victims in satire and humor.

I think a lot of humour is derived from the misfortune of others so I'm not sure I agree with your idea about victims.

Personally, I think you can make jokes about pretty much anything provided there's no hate or malice intended.

Indeed. Don't you all remember the rash of Helen Keller jokes people told as kids?

helen keller
did it in the cellar
she did the nothin'.
-martin mull

i would have also left the premises.

I've never heard of Protest The Hero, but I wonder what they thought of what was going on?

Thankfully, they left before they got to see the full meathead faction of our city represented.

Protest The Hero are quite political. I picked up their new CD at the show. If anyone is interested, PM me for YSI.

RIYL: Iron Maiden, Refused, Boy Sets Fire

was it the "what's the difference between pizza and jews" joke?

that's old.

It's about context. And only Jews are allowed to make Jew jokes.

Like: What did Mr. Rosenberg say to his daughter when she asked him for $50?
$40?!? What the fuck do you need $30 for?!?

This thread should be named "What would Jew do?"

Just sayin'.

I can't make an opinion until i hear the joke.

Yeah, what were the jokes?

Dalen had the second one. The first was "how many Jews can you fit in a VW bug?"

Then fuck those guys for being predictable.

I thought most peole were aware of the use of music for political reasons. Um let's see: the hippies and the 1960's. Or this...
hate bands

This is the correct answer for me.

Were the guys in the audience telling the jokes Skinheads? I went to a show recently and was fucking floored to see 3 giant meatheads with shaved skulls and "skinhead" type shit written/patched on their shirts, jackets, etc.

It's been a long fucking time since I've seen that. For chrissakes, it wasn't even a punk show! And to top it off we're talking San Diego, where you can literally go days without seeing anybody of the minority/Jewish persuasion, if you want to. What the fuck are these guys making a statement about?

btw - what I did. It involved a lot of gawking in disbelief and beer drinking.

what I would have done in your situation - leave, drink a beer about it, slander their band on the internet next day.

I wish this would be the correct answer for me. But I'm a wuss and instead would have slunk out.