An off the rails joke at Jungle Skipper today

[erinch]

Well, one last thing about managers. This incident involved an overheard remark that could cause offense or trauma, as plenty of posts witness, or also not bother someone else. Nobody stormed out, nobody contacted WDW guest relations, either of which could happen.

If the server is doing well, a good manager will point out there was a comment, and instruct the server not to use the line. If the manager is a Cruella DeVille type, and ripped him a new one or fired him, then it would be better to know that sooner rather than Investing time working in an unreasonable work environment.

 

[CaliTex]

Hey, this may be a little but the comments about making fun of a person's appearance and all these assumptions about what is in another person's mind made me think of one of the big reasons I feel in with my DH. And also how I started to grow up. A little. When I met my DH he was a very nice looking, very popular college ball player, and it seemed like all the girls on campus just thought he was da bomb. Me, being kind of a contrarian, and also kind of a jerk, figured (assumed) he would be an egotistical donkey, and I went out of my way to avoid/snub him. I would feel justified in being rude to him when he tried to converse with me, thinking "he deserved it". Stereotyping/assuming/judging. (I already admitted I was a jerk, ok?)

Anyway, fast forward to summer break, and I'm working at the gym where he is training in the off season. We were around each other alot, and I began to notice that he was kind to everyone, never made cutting or off color remarks, and just generally treated everyone with respect. I came to see that he was CONFIDENT which is totally different from ARROGANT and so never felt the need to put anyone else down to prop himself up. I knew he was THE ONE was when I heard him say to several of his teammates that they were talking crud about a girl, "Hey, be cool. That's somebody's sister."

Then I had to practically throw myself at him, for months, because he thought I was a stuck up immature brat. (Which he let me keep doing even after he decided he was going to start asking me out, so we were kinda-sorta even, I still say.)

Okay, yeah, this was I should probably get a full point deduction for this post.



We will now return to our regularly scheduled thread, "50 Shades of Offended"

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Well, one last thing about managers. This incident involved an overheard remark that could cause offense or trauma, as plenty of posts witness, or also not bother someone else. Nobody stormed out, nobody contacted WDW guest relations, either of which could happen.

If the server is doing well, a good manager will point out there was a comment, and instruct the server not to use the line. If the manager is a Cruella DeVille type, and ripped him a new one or fired him, then it would be better to know that sooner rather than Investing time working in an unreasonable work environment.

So, regardless of how it turns out, you did the server a favor by reporting him? Lucky him.

 

[aretha30]

We had lunch today at Jungle Skipper. Loved the restaurant. And Nathanel was fantastic. A lot of fun. We wanted tap water, which he said he would go draw up from the river.

But at the table next to us, the server introduced himself by saying

Roses are red, violets are blue,
I'm schizophrenic, and so am I.

I struggled with myself, as my family wanted to hightail it for An FP. But took the time to speak with the manager. I have a good friend who is schizophrenic. He struggles to be in crowds, and if he had been accosted with that, it would have been devastating.

I suggested removing the joke from the line up. As it isn't funny, and that she might want to speak with the CM about disabilities and humor. She said it wasn't in the line up, apologized, and said she would deal with it. In a decidedly non joke way.

Glad to see such professionalism, and hope the young CM skippers on with better jokes.

Thank you for speaking up. As the parent of a child with Tourette Syndrome (ADHD, OCD, ASD, and anxiety) we often hear ignorant comments or jokes surrounding his condition. I always stop and try to educate people on the condition. I figure maybe a little education is all they need. I appreciate things that aren't always appropriate but this would have offended me. Ignorance isn't okay, mental health (or any other neurological disorders) aren't things to be laughed at or poked fun of.

 

[boxer]

I'm offended that you didn't like my post.

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

 

[rajak73]

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

Best post yet! Thank you.

 

[L&Lfan]

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

Spot on! Nothing more needs to be said.....but I'm sure SOMEONE will be offended!

 

[SurferStitch]

I loved Die Hard. It was an awesome movie too! But if I walked into a disney restaurant and someone said to me "yippie ki yay *-*er" (and you all know what i mean, I won't even attempt to write the second part) I would get the reference and would STILL be shocked to be hearing it at disney. Context is everything. Just because it is in a movie doesn't mean it is appropriate to repeat out of context.

No to mention, spewing out the mother of all curse words in a family setting would be wildly inappropriate, so the comparison isn't quite the same. I don't understand why you would selectively choose that one small comment from my post and twist it into this. I was simply saying that I loved the movie, that's all.

The humor on the Jungle Cruise and in the standby line is lighthearted, yet a bit adult (i.e. over a child's head), so I would expect it to be the same in the Skipper Canteen. I just don't get the sensitivity to the original joke referenced in this thread. Again... I'm just not that touchy when it comes to comments and words. Now, coming right out and making fun of someone for their physical or medical deformity or issue, WRONG! But, a quick joke (it was just a joke) about a mental illness... I just can't get worked up. Like I said before... I hear jokes/comments that remind me of two extremely difficult times in my life, and I STILL can't get worked up. I actually find the humor refreshing.

I could only imagine some peoples' reactions to comedians like Anthony Jeselnik and Daniel Tosh... Whoa! Not to mention Tig Notaro, who's main comedy revolves around her battling breast cancer. She laughs at herself, her cancer, her own mortality, the way people react (good or bad)... everything.

 

[AngiTN]

No to mention, spewing out the mother of all curse words in a family setting would be wildly inappropriate, so the comparison isn't quite the same.

The humor on the Jungle Cruise and in the standby line is lighthearted, yet a bit adult (i.e. over a child's head), so I would expect it to be the same in the Skipper Canteen. I just don't get the sensitivity to the original joke referenced in this thread. Again... I'm just not that touchy when it comes to comments and words. Now, coming right out and making fun of someone for their physical or medical deformity or issue, WRONG! But, a quick joke (it was just a joke) about a mental illness... I just can't get worked up. Like I said before... I hear jokes that remind me of two extremely difficult times in my life, and I STILL can't get worked up. I actually find the humor refreshing.

I could only imagine some peoples' reactions to comedians like Anthony Jeselnik and Daniel Tosh... Whoa!

So true! If you can watch Tosh without gasping at least once there may be something wrong with you
Even if I think it's funny he always leaves me with my mouth hanging open at least once

 

[Mflowers92]

I'm not personally offended by the joke (as in a way that it would ruin my day). I just don't think it's appropriate for a CM to make to a guest. It could hurt feelings. Yes, plenty of late night talk show hosts and comedians make much more offensive jokes, but plenty of those jokes are also not appropriate in this context. It's all about the context here imo. Not directly comparable, but I would also find it odd if a CM made a disparaging joke about either political candidate to a guest, when they don't know enough about the guest to gage their reaction. To me, there are just plenty of things that are funny that are neutral and not making fun of mental illness.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

So, regardless of how it turns out, you did the server a favor by reporting him? Lucky him.

This is awesome!

 

[handinpocket]

Op here. Wow.

I think the energy generated by this discussion is a good reason why a family restaurant at Disney would want to put this particular bit of patter off limits. They want to sell meals, not controversy.

Once again, I personally would have found it bizarre to chase after a server not my own to raise awareness of how that rhyme might feel to a family struggling with schizophrenia.

The manager was female. Standing next to the sub manager in charge of seating tables. I focused on the "joke" and suggested it be removed from the line up. She said she would speak with him. Which is the job of the manager, not a patron. I also suspect it probably would help his career rather than getting in big trouble for something more egregious. Speaking to someone is not the same as firing them.

I did talk with my colleague, who just married her love, who struggles with schizophrenia, with nobility. She is thrilled that on their honeymoon, he was able to navigate restaurants. She thought being greeted that way pout do the blue would have been very difficult for him, and was glad I mentioned it.

And we made our FP in very good time.

I am now leaving the wonderful world of Disney, where we have had a wonderful 2 weeks, and won't be further checking this thread. Good cheer to all on all sides of this!

The only controversy was being created by YOU....

 

[DisBuckMan]

Some of y'all must live A LOT more sheltered life than I've lived.

Sheesh.

 

[spidet1964]

Sorry have to disagree. I have a friend who is schizophrenic and tells that same joke all the time.

 

[Lisa F]

No to mention, spewing out the mother of all curse words in a family setting would be wildly inappropriate, so the comparison isn't quite the same. I don't understand why you would selectively choose that one small comment from my post and twist it into this. I was simply saying that I loved the movie, that's all.

The humor on the Jungle Cruise and in the standby line is lighthearted, yet a bit adult (i.e. over a child's head), so I would expect it to be the same in the Skipper Canteen. I just don't get the sensitivity to the original joke referenced in this thread. Again... I'm just not that touchy when it comes to comments and words. Now, coming right out and making fun of someone for their physical or medical deformity or issue, WRONG! But, a quick joke (it was just a joke) about a mental illness... I just can't get worked up. Like I said before... I hear jokes/comments that remind me of two extremely difficult times in my life, and I STILL can't get worked up. I actually find the humor refreshing.

I could only imagine some peoples' reactions to comedians like Anthony Jeselnik and Daniel Tosh... Whoa! Not to mention Tig Notaro, who's main comedy revolves around her battling breast cancer. She laughs at herself, her cancer, her own mortality, the way people react (good or bad)... everything.

that's because she is laughing at HERSELF. the same way the "n" word is ok among african americans but it is a nasty slur if a white person uses it. People who are actively dealing with an issue get to make fun of it about themselves... but even then, there are appropriate times to do it. A disney park with families, many of whom are dealing iwth one issue or another (and bring their children to Disney because it is a safe haven for special needs in many ways) is not appropriate. An adult comedy show? sure, you get offended you should have known what you were in for when you chose that performance.

I'm just saying that just because it comes from a movie doesn't make it ok to say.

 

[Fantasmiss]

I think it's pretty obvious that a Cast Member shouldn't joke about disabilities in Disney World.

I'm an actress, sometimes do comedies, and you have to know your audience... You can't use the same lines in a play for little kiddies as you use in a gross-out comedy for adults. Also, you might joke about stuff with your friends, but when it's your job and you have an audience, it's different. And in any case, there are a few topics which are generally just tasteless to joke about, like big tragedies and disabilities.

 

[maxiesmom]

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

Heck, I've had someone PM me because they were offended that I posted I didn't get connecting rooms! It is amazing what will offend people.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Maybe the joke was in poor taste maybe not but the truth is no one but me at my table would have even been paying attention to things going on around them. Personally I wouldn't have said a darn thing. If the waiter said that at my table and I found it crossed the line I quite honestly would have requested to speak with the waiter privately. The reason for me is because the offense for me personally wouldn't be enough to warrant a manager. Now if they said something like "I don't want to serve you because you are..." or "look at that table over there who has ...." then yeah I would go to the manager because that is entirely different to me at least than what the OP described. Again this is just my opinion.

If one of your children had a mental illness, I doubt very much you would want to hear a joke about it and then people laughing. The point is, a mental illness isn't funny. There are a lot of other things to laugh about instead of someone's disability.

There is something to be said for the "hidden disabilities". Part of the issue is that since people don't necessarily know who has a disability it does become the "well guess a person can't tell any jokes nowadays".

Also it's tedious that the assumption is "if you knew someone you would think differently". In today's world you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know someone with "XYZ". Well my best friend from high school has schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder and my aunt has a cognitive disorder but she is high functioning. Neither of them would care about the joke nor would I. TBH I'm not even sure either of them would get the joke and I'm not saying they wouldn't because they aren't intelligent enough I'm saying they probably wouldn't even be reading into too much. I'm not saying sure we should be making fun of those with a mental illness either but really just considering the OPs situation at hand.

Please read what the OP said a few times. She wasn't "reporting" the server to get them in trouble. She was bringing an issue up to the manager so the manager could talk to the server and advise this line was NOT appropriate. My brother is mentally ********, if I was at any restaurant and heard ANY server said "hey look at that retard over there", I would be offended. Like I said already, there are a lot of things to laugh at, making fun of someone with a disability is not one of them.

Well TBH it's not PC to say mentally retarted at all anymore however that is exactly how I grew up describing my aunt I mentioned above because that's exactly how my family described her. If that server pointed at your son and said "hey look at that retard over there" absolutely that would be a problem....but not because your son is "mentally ********" but because a server was talking about a guest in front of other guests. That is something they should be discussing in private no matter on my opinion of their description of your son.

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

OMG I can't tell you how many times I've expressed annoyance or been more firm/blunt with my thoughts and someone says "well no need to get offended"...yeah if the words out of my mouth was "I'm offended" then you can by all means say "no need to get offended" but if I did quite assuming I'm offended.

That being said some people on the boards are downright rude but it's the assumption that you're offended everytime you don't agree with someone's opinion that gets rather annoying.

So true! If you can watch Tosh without gasping at least once there may be something wrong with you
Even if I think it's funny he always leaves me with my mouth hanging open at least once

Has anyone watched Family Guy?? Hello that is on a main network. My husband and I glance at each other all the times with this "how in the world did they get away with saying that" look while at the same time laughing our heads off. Also the Golden Girls...geez that show was quite scandalous and they constantly made fun of Rose's denseness and Blanche's promiscuity and that show was ages ago and is now shown on the Hallmark Channel. I laughed so many times when watching it though.

 

[EveDallas]

Check and mate. UNBELIEVABLE that someone wrote they 'were offended by your post' on a d#mn message board that is designed for people to express their opinions. While I love what I learned on these forums over the years, I really hope that I never run into some of you in the parks while I'm trying to have fun---while you are looking for every situation to become 'offended'.

You and me both. Life is way too short to be clutching pearls every time someone opens their mouth.

 

[tony67]

You and me both. Life is way too short to be clutching pearls every time someone opens their mouth.

We live in (or are creating) a country where calling someone Rich is a microaggression according to the UNH - they are "person of material wealth" - so buckle up kids - it is only going to get worse from here.