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This article is from the The Complete Guide To Hack Stand-Up Comedy, by Steven Rosenthal and Steve Silberberg (stevebo@onramp.net) with numerous contributions by others.

2d "Now, folks... I have nothing against homosexuals..."

When comics deny their homophobia or racism before a joke, you can be sure
that they are trying to soften the blow of one of the most homophobic or
racist jokes you'll ever hear. "I have a lot of gay friends..." is usually
followed with something extreme not unlike "But fags suck don't they? And
they should all be put to death!"

Airline stewards and the not-so-recent "Gays in the Military" debate have
given comics a new way to avoid writing by merely doing their "really
effeminate fag voice". Even though any homosexual male in the Marines could
probably kill a stand-up comic instantly with his bare hands, audiences
still laugh at the lame bit about the girlish soldier who likes to
re-decorate and flirt with the rest of the troops. Don't do the "fag voice"
unless it has a really good joke behind it, because otherwise you're
getting the laugh at the minority's expense and they really don't deserve
your scorn.

Continue to:

• prev: 2c "Black people walk or talk or dance differently than White people."(Then demonstrate)
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• next: 2e "I was in Alabama recently..."