No laughing matter

Knock, knock. Who's there? Who knows, and for that matter: who cares? As long as they have a sly remark, witty comment, or snappy punchline they are most definitely welcome.

No one can argue that they don't enjoy a good joke. In almost every circumstance and in almost every mood, the healing power of laughter can brighten any day or at the very least keep an already good day good. But anyone who has ever been in a joking situation can attest to the fact that they have been in situations when a joke has crossed the line. Whatever it is about, there is inevitably one person who kills the mood by making a joke about a subject that is just not funny. And whether everyone is offended or just one person, the atmosphere becomes instantly uncomfortable.

Apparently, Bernie Ecclestone is one of those people who crosses the line from fun and joking to racist and uncomfortable. The President and CEO of Formula One dismissed the notion that comments made about F1 champion Lewis Hamilton were racist and just "jokes". Hamilton - who is Formula One's first ever black world champion - wasn't too amused.

This is not the first time Hamilton has been on the receiving end of racist "jokes"; it is also not the first time that fans from Spain have been on the telling end of these quips. The Spaniards sense of humor has nearly cost them the privilege of hosting Formula One races in the past, but - alas - fans just can't seem to keep their side-splitters to themselves.

Another joker, this one from Texas, learned how much an innocent joke can cost. Buck Burnette - the now former offensive lineman from the University of Texas - posted a comment on Facebook about President-elect Barack Obama that so incensed head coach Mack Brown that upon learning of the comment (which can be seen in the previous link) that Brown immediately dismissed Burnette from the team. Not so funny now, is it?

Unofrtunately, none of these incidents were or will ever be funny. "Sad" is the operative word in situations like these. And what is most sad about all of this - more so than fans making racist comments, or having the president of the league support those racist fans and not the league's young star, or a student attending an institution of higher learning showing ignorance and bigotry towards a man who represents a ray of hope for so many - is that intolerance of this level still permeates even in the wake of such a historic day not just for the United States, but the whole world. It seems to be mentioned all too often, but despite how far the world has come, there is still a long way to go.

And that aint no joke.