No one buys this excuse outside of those who agree with the message of the jokes. Just because it's told in joke form, doesn't mean it's not saying anything. If anything the best types of comedy are the ones where they are saying things. Like I remember a comedian talking about going to do a show, and it wasn't until right after his set it was a show run by the KKK. If they have a comedy night and make jokes about black people, is that just joking? I mean, you can't claim it's racists just because it's coming from a racist, because it's a joke. You're not meant to take it seriously.