Is it OK for somebody to start off an ethnic joke by saying "I can say this because I'm *the same ethnic*"

I think that if they can tell the joke so can I as long as I have no real hate. However, if I tell an off color joke I am all of a sudden a racist.

What's the difference between calling someone a "racist" versus a "nigger"? Both are derogatory terms.

it is my firm belief that you can joke about anything. it isn't as bad if you are part of the group being joked about. that way people are sure you are joking (no misunderstandings about that). but I am sure you already figured that out from my comments. it would be the same as one person from a certain group calling another person of a certain group by a name that is usually considered derogatory.

I think it depends on the person saying the joke.

The difference between "racist" and "nigger" is that you're a racist because of things you do - no one is born a racist.
I think it depends on the joke, the person, the audience...

I have mixed feelings on this, but I guess I feel that's more "laugh with me" than "laugh at someone", as in it's "share the humor of the situation" rather than "those people over there, that we aren't part of, are stupid".

If they're a member of the same group, why should they have to say anything? I don't think it will really affect whether anyone will be offended.

phi: it shouldn't.. but I am betting this arose from my fat joke.. (or maybe the redneck jokes, or some of seven's responses) when I stated that I was fat.. in a medium where you can't see the person, it helps to state if you are a member of the group. in real life where you can see, then it should be obvious..

This isn't worded very well. Do you mean "Is it ok for a person to tell this joke if they preface it with this disclaimer?" No, I don't think so. I think perpetuating stereotypes is not something we need to do. Maybe, if the whole group is whatever group is under discussion, because it's certainly good to be able to laugh at ourselves. I sometimes feel frustrated because I love jokes and I know a lot of ethnic jokes, some of which I do find very funny, but I try very hard not to tell them or, if I just must, to choose my audience very cautiously. Generally, ethnic jokes are just a bad idea.

All that said, I find some of the Scots jokes I know pretty amusing and will tell those, mostly because Scots seems to be one of those ethnicities Americans don't have a lot of baggage about. In fact, I've occasionally found myself having to explain the stereotype that makes the jokes funny. When I tell them I do usually mention that I'm Scots.

So I guess you can take all of the above to mean that I'm completely inconsistent about what I believe and what I do, but I'm trying :)

It depends... I certainly feel more free to make fun of my own religion, ethnicity, and sexual orientation than I do to make fun of others'. But it's not carte blanche, either.
I'd say if you have to ask the question the answer is "No," so I picked "no".

hunter -- you're not *that* trying.

Oh!
So *that's* how people get all these funky yellow emoticons in their comments!
And here I thought there was some emoticons menu I'd just never noticed before.

It seems a bit self-hating. People can tell ethnic jokes whether they excuse them or not, in my book. I don't have to approve, or even listen.

I frequently find out what (ethnic) people are this way. A co-worker told a really obnoxious nigger joke and I stared at him like he had two heads... it finally dawned on me that he was black and thought it was okay. Then there was the fellow who said 'What kind of ice cream man wears a pink shirt to work?' and thought it was okay because he had one on, too.