Is this comment racist?

[Internet Has Taken Over!]

A friend of mine posted a picture postcard style image on facebook which you can see by typing "russian occupation visiting" into google images. It's the first result.

Should you not wish to google, the words are;

Nationality?
Russian
Occupation?
No, no. Just visiting.

To which I said "Sounds like a hitman to me!", i.e. airport convo. Someone then commented that it was "sort of a black joke...".

So, Russians or those generally more culturally developed than I, was this indeed a bad comment?

Appreciated.
Ah thanks Mo. Good information. I obviously missed the current political context of this with regards the word 'occupation'. Which in this instance makes my 'joke' even more stereotypical and less amusing.

With regards the 'black joke' aspect, thank you for that as this didn't trigger in my head. The person who commented that happens to be of 'black' heritage which led me to thinking of an inference from down a completely different track.

[Barry]

seems like a harmless joke to me.

[MO]

No .....just a joke on the word "occupation"

People are asked their nationality and then their occupation (job) but here they are using it as occupying a country as the nazis did to France.

Your reply - sounds like a hitman........is a stereotype......from Cold War Days......I wouldn't say it to a Russian to their face. Let's put it that way. "Black joke" - we are back to - black bad or evil, white - good.....old black stereotype. Our language is full of them: blackmail, blackball, etc.


Mo
Eng tutor