Christian artist Kirk Franklin does not think that "yo momma" jokes are the least bit funny, even though they are something of a cultural phenomenon.
In his Patheos blog, Franklin said that "yo momma" jokes work very well until they become personal. "These jokes can make you feel pretty small and angry when some guy who doesn't even know your mom says these things that cause everyone to howl in laughter," warned Franklin.
Reinforcing his point, he shared a couple of "yo momma" jokes: Your mom is so short, she can play kick ball with the curb; Your mom is so ugly, that she was cast in a Purina dog chow commercial.
Franklin added that "yo momma" jokes have started their fair share of playground fights, and the singer is not surprised because the jokes are pretty offensive, especially if they're targeted at somebody you love.
For his part, Franklin cannot stand to watch certain TV shows because of the disrespectful jokes directed at the central figure of his Christian faith: Jesus.
"It's personal with me and him. He's a hero of mine. So when I hear people disrespecting Jesus, it's offensive to me because they're talking about family," he said.
There are times that the writing is so clever that people get lost in the jokes. Some people might even say, "Bro, they're just jokes. Lighten up." But Franklin said that putting Jesus or his mother down is so personal because she was his lifesaver that he cannot let the jokes slide.
"I'm like the kid who would throw a punch when you say something about his mom. He knew how his mother was both parents at the same time, struggled to buy him clothes, and worked so hard to put food on the table. He overheard her midnight crying because of loneliness and knew she chose not to date quickly to give her kids a good example," he said.
