Council bans old gags

A London council has banned its staff from making mother-in-law jokes because they are ‘offensively sexist’ and disrespectful to ‘family elders’.

Barnet Council has issued guidelines to is workers, as part of a 12-page guide used in equality and diversity sessions.

The booklet, Cultural Awareness: General Problems, warns: ‘Humour can be incredibly culture-specific, and is very open to misinterpretation or even offense [sic] by other cultures

‘British mother-in-law jokes, as well as offensively sexist in their own right, can also be seen as offensive on the grounds that they disrespect elders or parents.’

Comic Dom Joly told the Mail on Sunday the advice as ‘completely insane’, adding: ‘All comedy is basically about taking the piss out of someone. You either ban it all and end up living in a place like North Korea or you leave well enough alone.’

Mother-in-law jokes have been around since Roman times. Satire VI, written by Juvenal in the first century AD, states: ‘It is impossible to be happy while one’s mother-in-law is still alive.’

Earlier this year American stand-up Sunda Croonquist, pictured, won a legal against her mother-in-law, who wanted to stop jokes being maed at her expense. District Judge Mary Coop threw the case out of court, saying the routines were protected under the First Amendment right to free speech.

Published: 26 Sep 2010