Or is it just doomed to the vapidity of sterile commercialization?

It feels like everything is serious these days… and ‘humor’ is only of the commercial variety. Joke communities and circlejerk communities are considered ‘hate groups’ now. Mods will ban you for sarcastic comments on ‘serious’ topics, and even on non serious ones, and everything is politicized either by trolls, bots, or whackjobs.

It’s boring when you can’t joke anymore. I miss my internet communities of 5-10 years ago when you could joke around, and even people of different beliefs and persuasions could laugh at themselves.

Now everything is so deadly serious. It’s a complete bummer. And any sort of ‘edge’ or sarcasm or sardonic remarks are ban-worthy.

I guess it’s just poe’s law run amok? I feel like mods could tell the difference 10 years ago and the non-jokey psychos were just ignored.

  • @[email protected]
    18•6 months ago

    I always find it weird when someone says they can’t joke on the internet. I joke on the internet all the time, and I’ve been banned from 0 forums, Discord servers, or other social media groups. 1 subreddit, but that was appealed, and I wasn’t even joking when I got that ban, lol

    I’ve never seen the internet as some stuffy place where I can’t joke around, or where I have to watch my tongue, and I’ve been using the internet for over 20 years.

    I’m not going to accuse anyone of anything, though I do know that some people and communities have “old boys’ clubs” or whatever they’re called where their sense of humour tends to be saying things that shouldn’t be said in polite company…things like racist or sexist jokes, rape jokes, etc.

    The whole world isn’t one big “old boys’ club”, and not everyone wants to see that crap. A big part of comedy is knowing your audience.

    TL;DR, The internet is still fun. If it’s not fun for you, then it might be your perspective that needs adjustment.

    • @[email protected]
      7•6 months ago

      Yeah. I’ve had exactly 0 issues in the past decade. The only people I tend to get op’s complaints from are usually lamenting that they can’t use the n-word or hate on marginalized groups anymore and hide behind “it’s a joke lmao”. Op was too vague to actually say what exactly they mean by sanitization, but it IS eerily similar.

    • @[email protected]
      3•6 months ago

      I have this neighbor. He is like 70+ yo, after a stroke and a heart attack, barely talks and walks…

      Somehow, this guy still has some slapping sense of humor. How come he pulls it off and most people I briefly checked online history of can’t and more often than not are the same people talking “everyone is just too serious nowadays”, “no-one can get a good joke anymore, huh?” or “why they banned me? Again!”…

      I am not saying this about OP, but I am starting to notice a trend.

      Plus, yeah, being able to read the room (this in itself can be 10 times harder online), knowing your range and type of humor you operate with can definitely help. And sometimes… sometimes it just doesn’t land at all — best lesson to improve or learn something. On the other hand, not everything and not every occasion or room has to be a comedic scene.

    • @[email protected]
      -7•6 months ago

      You are a) a very tame person, and b) quick to establish yourself on the right side of the pitchfork mob.

      I’m not going to accuse anyone of anything, though I do know

      THIS attitude is what’s killing the internet. Anyone who is punished must have been guilty. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.

      (is my ban incoming?)

      • @[email protected]
        4•6 months ago

        Anyone who is punished must have been guilty

        Not what I said nor implied.

        I can know that something happens sometimes without accusing someone of doing that thing…lol