As a mere observer, what concerns me is not so much the original poll choice.

What concerns me far more is the vitriolic reaction: the many comments actively seeking to raise the bar and be ever more mean-spirited and condescending. Is it really so unthinkable that we should respect someone else's right to be offended? Would it be so mortally embarrassing to admit that maybe one's joke didn't work as well as expected for the particular audience?

The joke in the poll was in poor taste. It happens. The schoolyard bullying that has followed is inexcusable, and the conversation about that is much more important.