Comments on: The Joke’s On Us http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/ Where our past is never very long ago Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:32:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Bookslinger http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47487 Bookslinger Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:48:22 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47487 Ardis, with your permission, may I include these Mormon Humor sites for easy reference. Please just delete this (not that you need my permission) if it’s not fitting.

http://www.overheardintheward.com (Mostly “Kids say the darnedest thing”.)

http://www.mormoncartoonist.com

http://www.9thwardcartoons.com (Hasn’t been updated in a while.)

beckstrombuzz.blogspot.com

http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/humor/

]]> By: Marianne Egan http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47464 Marianne Egan Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:03:14 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47464 I’ve always been fond of the Mormon joke that asks, “Why do Mormon women stop having kids at 38?”

Because 39 is too many even for a Mormon.

]]> By: Left Field http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47270 Left Field Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:49:00 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47270 These are mostly pretty good, though it helps that they date from a time when we were actually practicing polygamy. And they have actual humorous content. A lot of recent polygamy “humor” seems to assume that just alluding to polygamy is clever and funny. I remember seeing a lot of that sort of thing around the time of the Salt Lake Olympics. “If you’re going to the olympics, be sure to bring your wiveZZZZ and kids. Get it? WiveS.”

Yeah, I get it. Har-dee-har-har.

I’ve also seen Mormon humor that just gets the stereotypes wrong. “How many Mormons does it take to change a light bulb?” “Just one, but don’t move around too much or the church will think you’re dancing.”

]]> By: Ardis E. Parshall http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47267 Ardis E. Parshall Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:42:25 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47267 Bruce, I had completely forgotten that one, and had to read it all the way through to see what was coming next! Ha! Thanks.

]]> By: Bruce Crow http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47265 Bruce Crow Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:28:23 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47265 A light hearted response? Try this one.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47250 Bookslinger Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:29:19 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47250 When people have asked me how many wives I have, I usually reply “I’m still looking for my first.”

What would be a light-hearted come-back from a married guy? Perhaps “One too many” ?

]]> By: Ardis E. Parshall http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47249 Ardis E. Parshall Tue, 08 Feb 2011 16:27:23 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47249 I finally figured out what you meant, Jacob, a moment after I posted my last comment — I had thought at first you meant by “true” that the 1886 joke was a record of an actual overheard conversation, when what you meant was that there was certainly some general truth at the heart of it, giving rise to the stereotype. You’re right — we’re in agreement — I’m sure there is general reality behind it and 19th century readers saw it as an exaggeration of that reality. No argument from me on that, just trying to understand what you meant.

]]> By: Jacob J http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47212 Jacob J Tue, 08 Feb 2011 07:42:57 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47212 Ardis, I think we are probably in close agreement about the actual situation on the ground during polygamy and the ridiculousness of the reports you mentioned. Maybe that joke is fanning the flames of an unfair stereotype, as you suggest. The way I read this kind of humor, though, everyone understands that it is an exaggeration. There has to be a kernel of truth for it to be funny, but it doesn’t require that “all plural wives were constantly sorrowing over their plight” any more than mother-in-law jokes require that every mother-in-law be an ogre.

At any rate, thanks for the post, I enjoyed it as usual.

]]> By: Mina http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47201 Mina Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:25:52 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47201 Discovered these after a very long day. Now I can go to bed with a smile on my face!

]]> By: David B http://www.keepapitchinin.org/2011/02/07/the-jokes-on-us/comment-page-1/#comment-47198 David B Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:10:59 +0000 http://www.keepapitchinin.org/?p=11100#comment-47198 Most of these are as boring as this kind of juke usually is, but some of them are hilarious, and less a bit of moderated viciousness than something along the lines of the “Swede” stereotype (they may talk funny, but they’re actually pretty smart), where there’s something admirable in the other. I like those mainly because they’re harder to pull off.

I’m particularly fond of 1889, ’cause the joke actually works both ways especially well. (1890 is a close runner-up. 1899 #2 had potential, but tried too hard—it could be reworked nicely, though.)

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