My Opinion:

Racism under the guise of joking, or being okay with it, or down-playing it is still wrong. It worries me that more and more and more people are making fun of their own races, and then it tells others that that behavior is okay. Research (this is not the best example)shows that racism still exists, but in a more hidden form than it used to, and so when people joke about racial stereotypes, I worry that there is a real racism there (racism is also often subconscious). I don't understand why people would make fun of themselves--unless it's a form of low self-esteem--and that makes me sad as they laugh about it. They may just think it's funny because 'stereotypes exist for a reason,' or because maybe racism doesn't seem like an issue to them anymore, or because they're too distanced from real forms of racism, but it just seems like a dangerous game to play. There are plenty of racist attitudes out there still, and although they have gotten much better, I just think this might be a big step backward in the long run. Thoughts?