An off the rails joke at Jungle Skipper today

[AngiTN]

Guess I'm in the everyone in our society today needs to lighten up a bit camp. DH's mother was severly bi-polar and he would have cracked up at it
Everything everyone says isn't directed at you and doesn't need to be taken personally. I think we'd all get a long a whole better in this world if we remembered that more.

 

[Lisa F]

This may be true at a Chris Rock or Amy Schumer show, but not at a WDW restaurant. Skipper's is not billed as a comedy club. There are PLENTY of jungle and animal themed jokes the servers could be making. How a joke about mental health fits into the theme at Skipper's is beyond me.

This. Could not have said it better myself. I am not a prude about inappropriate and even downright offensive humor (yes I am embarrassed by some of the things I laugh at), but in the right context. WDW is not that context. the Jungle Cruise is all about corny humor and bad puns related to the jungle - making fun of stereotypes doesn't really fit in there.

I might not go as far as to say it was "off the rails" but I do not think it is appropriate and I do think it should have been brought to someone's attention.

 

[Lisa F]

Yes, thank you! We also has an unpleasant incident once where Snow White said my son, who has Down syndrome, reminded her of Dopey and asked his big sister if she took care of him like Snow White takes care of Dopey. We talked to guest services. The CMs are typically amazing, but I think there needs to be some more training on sensitivity for those with disabilities.

that is just beyond awful. I'm so sorry that happened to you.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Guess I'm in the everyone in our society today needs to lighten up a bit camp. DH's mother was severly bi-polar and he would have cracked up at it
Everything everyone says isn't directed at you and doesn't need to be taken personally. I think we'd all get a long a whole better in this world if we remembered that more.

Yep. Lighten up and laugh.

I once had someone walk up to me to chew me out over my shirt.

It had a picture of Dr House (from the TV show) and it said, "It's not Lupus." She was all upset because her friend had lupus and if I had any compassion, I wouldn't wear a shirt that makes fun of people with lupus. If you watched the show, Dr House, would always say, and sometimes yell, "It's NOT lupus, it's never lupus." She ended with, "If you had lupus, you would understand."

After she was done, I very calmly said to her. "I have lupus." And I turned and walked away.

So she got into this tirade defending someone that wasn't even there, all without checking my status. My shirt didn't effect her whatsoever. But she somehow felt the need to go off on me.

Be interesting to find out if the server's parent or child has schizophrenia. Or maybe the server himself has a mental health issue. And the joke was self deprecating.

 

[Pixie Dust ✨]

I agree it was in poor taste. Trouble is there isn't much anyone can say or joke about that someone wouldn't find offensive. No matter what, someone will take nearly any joke personally. I have chronic severe asthma. Heard many jokes on the subject over the years. It bothered me as a kid but these days I laugh too or just ignore.

Me too. I was having a hard time one day over at Universal in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The TM said, "You don't have to take the name of the shop literally, you know!" I thought that was hilarious.

 

[bumbershoot]

Me too. I was having a hard time one day over at Universal in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. The TM said, "You don't have to take the name of the shop literally, you know!" I thought that was hilarious.

This isn't Disney related, but personality and joke related.

DS took part in a big dance thing the other week (people who watch Ellen might have seen the show about Dancerpalooza?) and his focus was Tap. The Tap intensive is called Slide.

Last day of classes and during the rehearsal for the closing show, he rushed to get water and slipped on the parquet floor in his tap shoes. Broke his fall and his arm.

They wouldn't let him perform his numbers, but brought him on stage at the end, where he was introduced and they said that he had taken "Slide" too seriously.

I personally would have died from being made fun of. My son, who is much stronger than me, thought it was hilarious. He takes it further. The production company that runs the event is called Break The Floor. He says he misheard "floor" and broke his arm instead.


There might be many people who think the joke is funny. AND no deal with mental illness. I have many friends who deal with mental illness and almost all of them have huge senses of humor about it, and would be cracking that sort of joke.

 

[sjrec]

Well, I'm not sure family restaurants in Disney World are the place to make jokes making fun of mental illness. And as previous poster wrote I enjoy the humor of Amy Schemer and Chris Rock among others. But maybe I would have spoken to the waiter privately along the lines of "if someone at our table was dealing with a mental illness,they might have found the joke offensive and spoken with a manager" before actually speaking to the manager. I like to think people aren't being unkind, just clueless.
And of course some people won't find certain remarks or jokes hurtful, but if you're working with the public it's probably a good idea not to make those kind of jokes because you don't know your audience.

 

[boxer]

I thought the joke was funny myself---and I'm sure if I look close enough down my family tree, I'll find someone with a mental illness---but guess what, I'll still find the joke funny. I have NO IDEA why you have to alert management about the joke, as it would have just been easier to brush it off, and agree it was not to your taste, and carry on with your life. While the joke was not to your personal liking, you may have caused a kid his job---a job he might have been trying to get for years.

There is too much 'I know of someone with XXXXX problem, so I find your joke/comment insensitive'....

 

[wilkeliza]

I thought the joke was funny myself---and I'm sure if I look close enough down my family tree, I'll find someone with a mental illness---but guess what, I'll still find the joke funny. I have NO IDEA why you have to alert management about the joke, as it would have just been easier to brush it off, and agree it was not to your taste, and carry on with your life. While the joke was not to your personal liking, you may have caused a kid his job---a job he might have been trying to get for years.

There is too much 'I know of someone with XXXXX problem, so I find your joke/comment insensitive'....

There is no way that kid lost his job on this one offense. If the manager did anything he got 1 point if that. It is quiet possible the manager did nothing or even just off the record said hey can you not use that one any more. Disney does not instantly fire unless there is good cause or they would have the union on their butts in a heart beat.

 

[boxer]

There is no way that kid lost his job on this one offense. If the manager did anything he got 1 point if that. It is quiet possible the manager did nothing or even just off the record said hey can you not use that one any more. Disney does not instantly fire unless there is good cause or they would have the union on their butts in a heart beat.

I can't speak about FL laws, but in PA if he/she were under 90 days, then they can be fired for anything. Again, the point is not so much if he was fired--but he will be reprimanded and have a mark on his record for someones 'opinion' of a joke he told.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Well, I'm not sure family restaurants in Disney World are the place to make jokes making fun of mental illness. And as previous poster wrote I enjoy the humor of Amy Schemer and Chris Rock among others. But maybe I would have spoken to the waiter privately along the lines of "if someone at our table was dealing with a mental illness,they might have found the joke offensive and spoken with a manager" before actually speaking to the manager. I like to think people aren't being unkind, just clueless.

I agree with the speak to the waiter. Rather than going directly to the manager.

I think some feel that the only option is to speak to a manager, when the first step should be to speak with the person that said or did whatever offended you.

 

[rand1953]

it was a funny joke.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I heard lots of gentle jokes yesterday that stayed in bounds. The tram driver said, Ladies don't throw your husbands off the tram, if something drops, they make terrible tumble weeds. Another said, remove your children from the strollers before you fold them up. The tram guy in the villains lot said, if you can't find your car, then you'll never see it again. If you wanted help, you should have parked in heroes. But you parked inHook 137. Then he gave an evil laugh.

Getting an ear for the difference takes practice. I suspect they could do far more training at the skipper restaurant, as delivery was off a bit in most of the servers I was listening to.

And that is my nickel's worth!

Sorry, but to me, those "gentle" jokes aren't even funny. If that's the only kind of "jokes" they can tell to prevent offending someone, they might as well abandon jokes altogether.

 

[AngiTN]

My DH has a saying "Lighten up Francis" that he uses a lot. I think it works when offense is not intended but found in the strangest of places.

Sorry, but to me, those "gentle" jokes aren't even funny.

Seriously? Not even a little? On DH's bad day? I found them hilarious.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

My DH has a saying "Lighten up Francis" that he uses a lot. I think it works when offense is not intended but found in the strangest of places.


Seriously? Not even a little? On DH's bad day? I found them hilarious.

Are we talking about the same jokes? Maybe, I've heard the "gentle" jokes too many times to still find them funny, but to me those are a poor attempt at a joke. I may feel differently, if I only heard them once.

 

[PSUGuy]

In the words of Sgt. Hulka, 'Lighten up, Francis'.

Bill From PA

 

[AngiTN]

Are we talking about the same jokes? Maybe, I've heard the "gentle" jokes too many times to still find them funny, but to me those are a poor attempt at a joke. I may feel differently, if I only heard them once.

The ones in the quote you used, about not throwing your DH off the tram, removing kids from the stroller before folding, and parking in Heroes if you want help? Yes, those are hilarious. Who do they offend? Well, never mind, I'm sure they offend someone, as everything will offend someone, even rainbows and unicorns. But yeah, by the end of a trip, I might be tempted to throw DH off a tram

 

[tarheelmjfan]

The ones in the quote you used, about not throwing your DH off the tram, removing kids from the stroller before folding, and parking in Heroes if you want help? Yes, those are hilarious. Who do they offend? Well, never mind, I'm sure they offend someone, as everything will offend someone, even rainbows and unicorns. But yeah, by the end of a trip, I might be tempted to throw DH off a tram

I didn't mean to insinuate they would offend anyone, if that's how my post came across. I just think they should be able to tell jokes funnier than that, without someone getting offended. I just don't see the point in trying, if everything is going to offend someone. Then again, I've been to a comedy club where DH & I were the brunt of jokes all night. (It was a demographics thing. ). We had a blast. I often laugh at myself & my poor health, as well. We all need to laugh more & spend less time looking for a way to be offended.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

FTR, I could understand why someone with schizophrenia may get upset if their server used that joke. It could hit a little too close to home. That's understandable. A table with no schizophrenics & a different server not so much.

 

[kamik86]

The ones in the quote you used, about not throwing your DH off the tram, removing kids from the stroller before folding, and parking in Heroes if you want help? Yes, those are hilarious. Who do they offend? Well, never mind, I'm sure they offend someone, as everything will offend someone, even rainbows and unicorns. But yeah, by the end of a trip, I might be tempted to throw DH off a tram

I would think someone that would get so easily offended about the joke that started this post would also find the joke about throwing husbands off the tram to be making light of spousal abuse.

I agree that people get offended way to easily. There was a post about being offended by a child's costume, this one about jokes, etc. My husband thinks I have no sense of humor and even I can't see anything to be offended about.