That joke could land you in jail!
Of course, you know that when you are frisked at the airport before boarding your flight and you make a joke about bombs, you can be not just disallowed to fly but also charged in court. Or while onboard, you see a friend named Jack at the far end of the plane and you shout, “Hi, Jack!” that could also land you in jail.
I learned more about “dangerous” jokes during my interview with celebrity lawyer Lorna Kapunan over the weekend after the court lifted the Permanent Protection Order (PPO) filed by Kris Aquino for son Bimby against her ex-husband James Yap but upheld the same PPO Kris also filed for herself, forbidding James from getting near Kris within 100 yards.
As you very well know, Kris, to quote Lorna, “accused James of physically harming and sexually attacking” and that the incident stressed Bimby. Lorna hastened to add that James doesn’t have any history of sexually abusing women.
“According to the court as regards the PPO petitioned by Kris,” Lorna explained, “the domestic-violence law doesn’t refer only to physical. If the woman feels and thinks that she was abused or physically harmed, then it’s part of psychological, mental and emotional stress. Therefore, the woman should be protected. It’s not what you do, it is what the woman perceives. In the case of Kris and James, maski it was (according to James) ‘jokingly kissing,’ sabi ng court that entitled Kris to protection. That’s where I agree with the court because I have handled cases for domestic violence and really ang babae talaga ang kailangan protektahan. This is
a lesson to all — huwag kayo magbiro-biro ng ganyan.”
Same in the case of people making a joke about bombs, including actors John Estrada and Jay Manalo who were held and prevented from boarding their (domestic) flights in separate situations, maybe unwittingly ignoring huge signs warning passengers from making “bomb” jokes. Luckily, no charges were filed against them.
And have you forgotten too soon the “violenceagainst-women” jokes about rape, with Jessica Soho as his victim, that Vice Ganda recently got into hot waters? Although Vice has (grudgingly?) apologized to Jessica, Funfare learned that Jessica is still seriously conferring with a lawyer (a woman, naturally!) about filing a case against Vice. Rape jokes, like “bomb jokes,” are not maganda, di ba?
Funfare is devoting the whole space today to those jokes so that you and I, whether we are comedians or not, will know where to draw a line before cracking a joke.
Jokes are meant to amuse and entertain, not to insult other people or hurt their sensibilities.
No kidding!
(E-mail reactions at entphilstar@ You may also send your questions to
askrickylo@gmail.com. For more updates, photos and videos visit www.philstar.com/ funfare or follow me on www. twitter/therealrickylo.)