Admonishing Your Parents

[AdamP88]

It seems every time my parents are away and they call me, my Father has to mock Indian IRS scammers accents. I used to do this too, but I realized that it is derogatory and thus, a sin. Last night my Father called and once again mocked Indian people’s accents. I told him to stop it.

I know we are to admonish the sinner, but my parents aren’t even religious. Did I disrespect him by telling him to “stop it” with the mocking of Indian people’s accents? Part of my thinks I did him a favor by telling him to stop this offensive habit, but another part of me thinks I disrespected him.

I’m sorry…but your dad is hilarious.

I really don’t think it’s a sin to make fun of an accent, to be honest. It might annoy you, but I doubt it’s a sin.
The same type of people used to call my grandfather and say they were from microsoft and ask for computer details. He’d say he was going off to get his laptop and he’d be back soon, but he might take a while cos he’s old. Then he’d go and do the garden…for several hours.

 

[Isca]

Racism often starts with humor, and then is often justified with “I was just kidding”, or “He didn’t mean anything by it.”

Most of this type of humor stereotypes the subject, which is racism.

I agree with you and it would not be acceptable to do this in the UK - it would be seen as racist. People used to make that kind of parody joke back in the 1970s.

 

[pianistclare]

OP, you live in their house, you eat their food, they’re paying your tuition, and yet, somehow you feel you know more than them.
Yes, your dad is not funny.
But honestly, you seem to be struggling with needing to be independent and resenting that you’re not.
Keep your nose in your textbooks and ignore racist remarks.
People like that only continue when they get a rise out of someone.
When it ceases to be funny, they quit.
In the meantime, try respecting your parents. It’s a commandment, remember?
“My parents aren’t even religious”. wow.
If you continue to see sin everywhere you go…AGAIN, have a talk with your priest.
Or maybe a priest at a neighboring parish. Someone who will help you.

 

[EasterJoy]

It seems every time my parents are away and they call me, my Father has to mock Indian IRS scammers accents. I used to do this too, but I realized that it is derogatory and thus, a sin. Last night my Father called and once again mocked Indian people’s accents. I told him to stop it.

I know we are to admonish the sinner, but my parents aren’t even religious. Did I disrespect him by telling him to “stop it” with the mocking of Indian people’s accents? Part of my thinks I did him a favor by telling him to stop this offensive habit, but another part of me thinks I disrespected him.

I think it is better to “admonish” that he is using an example of extremely lame and, by the frequency he repeats it, boring humor. You can tease him about returning to a dry comedy well and point out that while there are comedians who can pull off ethnic humor and manage to be both unoffensive and funny, he is unfortunately not one of them. “Don’t give up the day job, Dad. Your material seriously needs some work.” If you were sitting in the room with an easily-offended member of his target group, none of them are likely to blame you for not picking a fight with your old dad about this, though. They have parents, too.

Forge the best relationship you can with your parents as their adult child. Do not get juridical about it–that is, counting “this is a sin, that is allowed.” Make your decisions on a more personal level, considering who you are talking to, where your relationship is strong and where it is weak, how you bring out the better or worse of each other’s behavior, where your parents are emotionally, what love they need to experience coming from you, and so on. That will not preclude panning your dad’s comedy act. It will guide you about how to go about doing it, though.

No matter which of you dies first, one of you will probably be at the other’s death bed, if the circumstances allow it. Forge the kind of relationship you’ll want to have with your parents when that happens. Be able to laugh, be able to give and take opinions while respecting each other’s autonomy, share good memories with them, share what is meaningful with them (to the extent they allow it), and know what is important to each and respect it. The rest is small stuff.

 

[MaryHelp777]

Okay, then by that premise, everyone can lay off the Irish drinking jokes too.

Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman and Paddy Scottishman went to the bar and order drinks.

Paddy Scottishman noticed a fly in his guinneas drink, he leaves the bar in disgust.

Paddy Englishman noticed a fly in his pint of Guinness and he asks the barman, “Can I have another drink please?”

Paddy Irishman sees a fly in his drink, becomes infuriated, picks the fly out and starts shaking the fly up and down, while he roars, “Spit it out! Spit it out”

 

[truetofaith]

If he calls you & mimics a telemarketer …he’s joking around.

The calls I get from them all have Indian accents, so what should he use… a German accent?

Lighten up…worry about real sins & real Racism!

Just to repeat what I think, says it all.

 

[Irishmom2]

Paddy Irishman, Paddy Englishman and Paddy Scottishman went to the bar and order drinks.

Paddy Scottishman noticed a fly in his guinneas drink, he leaves the bar in disgust.

Paddy Englishman noticed a fly in his pint of Guinness and he asks the barman, “Can I have another drink please?”

Paddy Irishman sees a fly in his drink, becomes infuriated, picks the fly out and starts shaking the fly up and down, while he roars, “Spit it out! Spit it out”

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

Doing impressions of accents is sinful?
I guess watching actors is out now too.
I guess using the word laddy on St Patrick’s day is out. Singing songs from my fair lady is out. Saying y’all when you don’t live in the south is out.
And definately ordering a “doubledilla” at Taco Bell is out.

Quick, someone call Alex trebek and tell him not to attempt his ethnic pronunciations in jeopardy anymore.

Is Steve martin’s “wild and crazy guys” now sinful?

I have an entire repertoire of accents that I use with my kids to make them laugh.

I guess Mel Blanc was a bad influence on me.

 

[AdamP88]

Did someone say racial comedy was a thing of the past?

youtube.com/watch?v=kQA07B0X6jU

 

[Xantippe]

I’m sorry…but your dad is hilarious.

I really don’t think it’s a sin to make fun of an accent, to be honest. It might annoy you, but I doubt it’s a sin.
The same type of people used to call my grandfather and say they were from microsoft and ask for computer details. He’d say he was going off to get his laptop and he’d be back soon, but he might take a while cos he’s old. Then he’d go and do the garden…for several hours.

I love your grandpa!

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

I have an entire repertoire of accents that I use with my kids to make them laugh.

I guess Mel Blanc was a bad influence on me.

I’ve been known to say the rosary with my family in accents. The kids llove it. A Russian one that the kids think sounds like gru from dispicable me,

Have you ever read the skippy John jones children’s books. They are litterally written in an accent!

People can talk differently and have different accents. Ask Melania trump.

The op’s dad is not engaging in a hatred of another person based on race…

Many people have no idea what racism really is.
I suppose they would also cry racism if a person living in India answered the phone with a John Wayne impression.

 

[Elena321]

Tbh I find your father funny OP and I’m from a non english speaking background.
Shouldn’t intent matter?
For example one person might have an intent to hurt and belittle but another might just be playful and done in love and jest.

Sometimes we even make fun of our own cultures.Look at the Australian show Here Comes The Habibs for example.

Two people from the same culture might have very different reactions.
If your dad did the accent in front of an Indian person and they said it hurt them he should stop though.

 

[LethalMouse]

Us he making fun of all people for their way out of true bigotry? Or recieving many clals from scammers and mocking “scammers” specifically?

I went thru a period where I git several calls per week and I mock them. I pretended to not speak english once and sometimes I go along with hilarious computing (like using linux and never having what they say to do on windows lol) if I tell the story I mock indeed those who wish me harm.

One man at work has a heavy indian accent. I talk to him about a range of topics from theology to history, to medical (he’s a doc) and social issues. He is a smart dude I enjoy our discourse. I have never mocked his accent.

See the diff?

 

[truetofaith]

Us he making fun of all people for their way out of true bigotry? Or recieving many clals from scammers and mocking “scammers” specifically?

I went thru a period where I git several calls per week and I mock them. I pretended to not speak english once and sometimes I go along with hilarious computing (like using linux and never having what they say to do on windows lol) if I tell the story I mock indeed those who wish me harm.

One man at work has a heavy indian accent. I talk to him about a range of topics from theology to history, to medical (he’s a doc) and social issues. He is a smart dude I enjoy our discourse. I have never mocked his accent.

See the diff?

That makes sense!

 

[ShrodingersCat]

Melodeonist, you post a lot of threads about respecting your parents and I can tell you have scrupulous tendencies. An internet forum is a poor place to turn to for advice; probably the worst place. You need to find a regular confessor or spiritual director. If travelling is an issue, see if a priest will agree to e-mail correspondence with you and be sure to find a priest that understands the burden of scrupulosity.

 

[struggling4him]

Oh, lighten the hell up, dipshit

 

[claymcdermott]

Melodeonist, nagging your parents about insanely minor microaggressions like a faux Indian accent, that nagging is a sin. It would be a sin to nag here.

The habit of complaining abut your parents and airing your dirty laundry and their dirty laundry on the internet is a sin.

The sin is not that you are not lecturing your parents enough, and the fact that it even occurs to you that this might be the problem is a bad sign.