Jokes are all fun and games until someone gets harmed. 

Jokes can be interpreted in many different ways. They are funny but should be said to an extent. 

Not all jokes are created equal. Some jokes may harm different people. People should not joke around when someone gets hurt, whether it is physically or emotionally. 

The limit, however, is debatable. 

Jokes that hurt or intend to hurt someone or something should not be said. Jokes that were not meant to hurt someone or something, but end up hurting someone or something should also not be spoken. As mentioned before, many people have different interpretations of different jokes.

WJPS junior, Julia Aiello said, “I think that how a joke is interpreted is extremely situational. What one group or person be okay with, another may find extremely offensive. A tone can be more hurtful, depending on who it is coming from as well. Overall though, I think a hurtful joke is often one that makes fun of a flaw, mistake, or tragedy that a person either deeply regrets or had no control over.”

Lucas Fernandez, a WJPS junior said, “When the other person knows that the joke will make the listener or audience feel some form of emotional pain. Like if I made a joke about someone’s mother knowing that they died recently or that it’s a sensitive subject for them.”

Jokes that target someone’s traits should not be said because there is one way to interpret the joke. The way to understand the joke is to say that they are making fun of the person they are telling it to; there is no other way to interpret it.