PEOPLE in the South East are less likely to laugh at jokes about disability, race or sexual orientation than many other parts of the UK, according to a survey.
The poll for the Royal London Society for Blind People found 17 per cent of participants in the South East region were tickled by jokes about minorities.
In the North West more than 20% of respondents believed that such humour was ‘often hilarious’. East Anglia topped the survey, with 26% of participants saying such jokes were funny.
Eight out of ten respondents across the country said jokes poking fun at minorities are unacceptable.
The RLSBP commissioned the survey after the Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle caused controversy with a joke about the disabled son of model Katie Price.
The society's chief executive Tom Pey said: “I’m blind and Irish and I know some great blind and Irish jokes. However Frankie Boyle’s suggestion that a blind and disabled child would be likely to sexually assault his mother was truly sick.
“This survey shows that more and more people are understanding that there’s a huge difference between humour that works and abuse that hurts.”
Can jokes about minorities be acceptable? Would you tell your friends one? Leave your comments below.
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