DM Fickle about character actions

[BestPlayer]

Ok this may seem like a strange topic. Usually it seems like it is the players who don't take things seriously enough, but recently I have had problems with my DM doing just that. We have a pretty relaxed game and joke about what our character says and dones quite a bit. I am fine with that. We all laugh and make crude jokes and taunt one another, the DM included. This however is all out of character stuff and I think that is where it should stay. It is understood generally that our characters are not actually doing the crazy things we sometimes joke about them doing. Our silliness should not effect our characters unless we want our characters to be acting silly for some reason. Recently however our DM has just out of the blue been occasionally proclaiming that we actually did one of these silly acts and as it has been done it cannot be taken back. These are at times horrible and stupid things and are in no way acts that our characters as envisioned would ever do, but he insists we have done them and have to live with the consequences. I know we could all be much more serious and be in character all the time or make a time out sign or say "this is OOC" but am I ridiculous in thinking that this shouldn't be necessary?

[DivisibleByZero]

At our table, the OoC sign is putting your thumb to your nose. If you do that, you're OoC and safe.
If you don't, the DM is free to rule that you just did or said whatever occurred at the table.

[Mikeavelli]

This is a phase most DM's go through at one point or another. DM wants to run a more serious game / story for a few sessions, starts clamping down on the silliness. The biggest problem is that he didn't actually discuss this with you beforehand, he just started doing it because he sees the DM chair as being able to mandate what kind of game everyone is playing, rather than a referee that enforces mutually agreed upon rules.

Sit down for a real talk about what kind of campaign he wants to run, and the kind of game you want to play in. Bring in the other players, and come to an agreement on the tone of the game. Serious games can be pretty fun if you give them a try, and it doesn't feel quite so off-putting if you're all on the same page about what the rules are. Especially if you can come to a compromise.

If you and the other players don't find that sort of game fun at all, then the DM needs to know that by you telling him instead of waiting for him to figure it out on his own.

[Maxilian]

As a DM i have done this (not many times thankfully), but mostly its when the OOC jokes start taking too much time of the game (mostly happen in combat), and some players stick so much OOC that they don't actually know why they are doing X or Y thing, so this is basically, "joke.... but play please."

[Beelzebubba]

Well, having been on both sides of the table, the players might be joking and horsing around a bit *too* much - where you're not actually gaming much at all - and this is his attempt to reel everyone back in.

Talk it out. If you approach it with the idea of 'let's find the right way so that we both get what we want' you'll solve it no problem. Good luck!