Line #296 Main/UnacceptableTargets


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6	->''"Some of the papers ran slanderous stories saying the nuns cohabited with the marchers, and I made a bad joke about how I'd come down to get a little of that action, and Music/HarryBelafonte grabbed me by the throat. He was not amused."''
7	-->-- '''Creator/AlanKing''' on why you should rethink inviting a stand-up comic to your [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement civil rights march]]
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9	This is [[TitleDrop Unacceptable Targets]]; the [[OppositeTropes flip side]] of AcceptableTargets, things, people, and ideas that one simply does not mock. Doing so may result in anything from "DudeNotFunny" to the entire audience staring at you in StunnedSilence [[{{Beat}} for a split second before]] breaking out the TorchesAndPitchforks. Comedians, critics or others who gladly cross all the lines will still stop at this one, no matter how bold they are. In short, some things are just unacceptable.
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11	A BlackComedy will demonstrate its [[JerkAss meanness]] (depending on the writers behind it) by [[KickTheDog mocking these mercilessly]]; this can cause the cancellation of particular series for jokes considered too offensive or tasteless. If Unacceptable Targets is somehow made funny, it almost always belongs to the CrossesTheLineTwice category. Not to say that there is no such thing as AffectionateParody. Humor can be constructed in a way that reveres and respects its targets or makes them appear all the more awesome. Still, comedy is a difficult business and sometimes even jokes meant to be respectful can be misinterpreted. As a result, it can sometimes be better just not to try.
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13	It should be noted that for some (but not all) Unacceptable Targets, it's sometimes considered okay to use them as a vehicle for a joke, as long as the joke is not at their expense. Even so, a comedian will get attacked if the joke is perceived as too mean. (For example, a joke about how Creator/WarnerBros [[Film/{{Watchmen}} mistreats]] ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' is okay, while a joke about the comic itself is not.) One should also consider that what would be an Unacceptable Target for one culture would be [[ValuesDissonance an Acceptable Target for another]], not to mention those contrarian enough to make fun of something ''[[ForbiddenFruit because]]'' it's an Unacceptable Target.
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15	Contrast with AcceptableTargets. Some situations can result in heavy UnfortunateImplications, {{Double Standard}}s, and ValuesDissonance in which TheRival or the counterpart of the Unacceptable Target can become AcceptableTargets.
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17	Can sometimes be difficult to separate from formerly AcceptableTargets in cases when, at one time, one people in the dark annals of history mocked the subjects in question. Perhaps a good rule of thumb to distinguish between the two is:
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19	* OAT: ''"Oh, you're mocking the Once Acceptable Target? [[ValuesDissonance How behind-the-times you are.]] I will laugh derisively at you."''
20	* UT: ''"You're mocking the Unacceptable Target? YouMonster!"''
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22	!!Concepts related to unacceptable targets:
23	[floatboxright:
24	'''See also:'''
25	* AcceptableTargets
26	]
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28	* CreatorWorship
29	* DeadArtistsAreBetter
30	* DudeNotFunny
31	* HePannedItNowHeSucks
32	* HumorDissonance
33	* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead
34	* PosthumousPopularityPotential
35	* SacredCow
36	* ValuesDissonance

Context Main / UnacceptableTargets