"Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbour and says, 'I was only joking!'"
— The Bible (New International Version), Proverbs 26:18-19
"Cruelty is shameful—unless the cruel man can represent it as a practical joke. A thousand bawdy, or even blasphemous, jokes do not help towards a man’s damnation so much as his discovery that almost anything he wants to do can be done, not only without the disapproval but with the admiration of his fellows, if only it can get itself treated as a joke."
— The Screwtape Letters, chapter 11
"Schrodinger's Douchebag: Saying something offensive and then deciding whether you were joking by the reaction of the person you offended."
— VoidBurger
Sweetness, sweetness, I was only joking when I said
I'd like to smash every tooth in your head.
I'd like to smash every tooth in your head.
— The Smiths, "Bigmouth Strikes Again"
Quick! Pretend you were joking!
— Henry Stickmin Series, one of the fail screens in "Stealing the Diamond".
"Jesus God in Heaven, why'd you have to kill such hot snatch? It's a joke man. Geez, people are so serious. Holy Mary who art in Heaven pray for us sinners... so we don't get caught. Another joke."
—Ram Sweeney, Heathers
"Dude, I said 'J.K.' Why are you freaking out?!"
—DeVon, Big Mouth, "Best Friends Make the Best Lovers"
Quagmire: Hey, Peter, would you get off your phone?
Peter: Sorry. Young girls keep killing each other 'cause they think I'm the Slenderman now.
Quagmire: (looks at Peter's phone) A... are you... are you telling them to kill each other?
Peter: It's just a goof.
Peter: Sorry. Young girls keep killing each other 'cause they think I'm the Slenderman now.
Quagmire: (looks at Peter's phone) A... are you... are you telling them to kill each other?
Peter: It's just a goof.
"It's just a prank, bro!"
— Common Catchphrase of bad-faith pranksters who go too far.
"It was lighthearted quip! What's going on?"
— Dorien Green, Birds of a Feather, "An Inspector Stays"
Arthur: A bully? Me? I didn't bully Sue Ellen!
Mr. Ratburn: I was surprised too, Arthur. It doesn't seem like you. But when you continue to tease someone, even after they have asked you to stop, that's bullying.
Arthur: But it was just a joke!
Mr. Ratburn: Maybe to you, but imagine if someone made you feel bad for what you wore. We have no tolerance for that kind of behavior here. You must treat everyone with respect.
— Arthur, "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh"
Kara: It was weird, right?
Kara's Conscience: Yes. Your remarks were justified, and clearly delivered in a jokey manner.
— Tuca & Bertie, "Sleepovers"
"Now, do you think you can eat lunch without bothering anybody else?" asked Mrs. Jenkins.
"Oh, sure!" said one Frank.
"We were just kidding, anyway." said the other Frank.
"Oh, sure!" said one Frank.
"We were just kidding, anyway." said the other Frank.
— Bubble-Gum Radar (They do not hold up their promise, by the way.)
Sal Iaccuzzo: Vito?! What the fuuuuuck...
Vito Spatafore: Sal...hey!
Sal: FUCK you doing?
Vito: Nothin'...I was here, it was a joke!
Vito Spatafore: Sal...hey!
Sal: FUCK you doing?
Vito: Nothin'...I was here, it was a joke!
— Sal Iaccuzzo finding Vito Spatafore at a gay bar dressed in a leather outfit, The Sopranos, "Mr. and Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
"Jokes or not, that shit is awful. I don't think intention matters if the stuff you're saying is that bad."
— Bobby Broccoli (Pinned comment), referring to the slur-filled "Bog-pill" threads on 4chan, "The Twins who Terrorized Physics with a Sock Puppet Army (The Bogdanoffs, Part 2)
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