Q: Why wasn't Christ born in Poland?
A: Because God couldn't find three wisemen and a virgin.
The majority of the Polak jokes I have heard in my lifetime have been from my grandfather, Edwin Cholewa, whose last name means "the top part of a boot" in Polish. He also enjoyed teaching his grandchildren Polish swear words, which I still remember but am too afraid to ask what they mean. While living in Chicago around my large Polish family it was clear to me why Polak jokes were funny. Now when I tell these jokes to my friends in Denver, I often get the response "I don't get it."
Do you get it? The purpose of this blog is to examine the Polak joke rhetorically. What are your thoughts as the audience?
What kind of polish stereotypes are exaggerated in Polak jokes, particularly this one? Are you familiar with these Polish stereotypes?
One thing that strikes me about Polak jokes is how many times I have heard the same joke but with the subject changed to a "dumb blonde." What if the subject were changed to a different ethnicity? Would your reaction to this joke be different if it was "Why wasn't Christ born in Mexico?" or if it were a targeting black people?
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I find myself both offended and not offended, while thinking yeah this is funny....and then also feeling no this is not funny.
ReplyDeleteI understand the joke after reading it mainly because I did go in and change it around. I think that jokes are always directed at their audience. If you know someone hates black jokes, you change the joke to Polish. If you know someone hates Polish jokes, you change your joke to blondes. Audience is key.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this joke plays off of a Polish stereotype? I'm not sure if Polak's are stereotyped as sluts and dumb people, but this joke seems to point that out. I think it rather points out a ridiculous stereotype than makes fun at a culture in my opinion.
I think Polish jokes are hilarious, but this is only because I dated a first generation Polish guy: a shining exmple of the embodiment of the "dumb polack". I agree with Christina: these types of jokes are funny to a specific audience.
ReplyDeleteThe audience needs to have some familiarity with racial stereotypes in order for this to be funny. I think ethnicity is impotant to laugh about, and molding jokes to play off of stereotypes is more than appropriate.
http://rlv.zcache.com/funny_polish_tshirt-p235610128145531034q02s_210.jpg
As a Polish-American, I've heard it all! Polish people are often even called the "Mexicans of Europe." (which I totally think is offensive).
ReplyDeleteThere's also the "Polish Shower" -- a Polish guy peeing into the wind of a fan and it blowing back to spray him like a shower.
My friends and I actually make ethnic/racist jokes all the time -- BUT we do so because we are all college educated, all were actively involved in social justice, community service, and well world-traveled, experienced time with many people of other cultures, and understand the utter ABSURDITY of such jokes. SO, in reality, we are making the very jokes we know we hate ... hm. That reasoning could use a little POLISHing up.....
Why is it that we even make immigrant jokes in the first place?
ReplyDeleteMy answer would be something along the lines of our desire to be accepted and one cheap way to feel is accepted is to make others feel unaccepted.
It's the backdoor way to be part of the in crowd.
Basic high school hierarchy at its finest.
I called my mom to ask if she knew any polish jokes. She immediate told me one of the top of her head. She said its the one she always tells when asked. It wasn't even that funny. What was funny is that a 45 year old woman has a polish joke on hand since her early 20s and has been using it consistently despite the fact that it's not even that good.
ReplyDeleteNot funny, not offensive, just pretty boring. Apparently the fact that IT IS a polish joke is humor enough.
"Why is it that we even make immigrant jokes in the first place? "
ReplyDeleteWhy did I make fun of the strange kid in 5th grade? Because I'm an asshole. I feel bad about it, but it's what I am.
Try to break down the logic of taboo jokes--race, gender, sexuality, etc...--and you're left with the filth of human nature.
Sure, people can be cruel, especially in 5th grade. But why is cruelty targeted at groups such as Polaks, Mexicans, African Americans, Jews, etc?
ReplyDeleteWhy is this offensive? "Polish people are often even called the "Mexicans of Europe." (which I totally think is offensive)."
Who is offended by it?
I think we make targeted jokes because they're subtler and more funny than the alternative:
ReplyDeleteAn average man, a foolish man, and a selfish man walk into a bar...
Or perhaps the use of some pigeonhole is what actually makes the joke possible, in the form of a joke:
Why wasn't Christ born in a country with only loose women and stupid men?
Haha, I think this joke is funny, but not because it's directed towards Polish people, or to blondes or to Mexicans, I think the idea of this joke is funny. Having said that, I don't know of "polish stereotypes" and I am not familiar with polish jokes. I do understand this idea of making up jokes that take cracks at cultures or groups of people as a whole however and this joke could easily be changed around to say, "why wasn't Jesus born in Africa, Mexico or even USA!!" Whatever culture you are trying to take a shot at, you can make up some wild stereotype and make a joke about it.
ReplyDeleteFor me, jokes like this aren't offensive, but maybe they should be. I am not polish but had this been reference to Italians or some other part of my heritage I don't seem myself being upset either. I think I have a fairly "think skin" for stuff like this. This joke is not directed towards anyone in my mind. Its directed towards a nation or culture as a whole, and as we have seen it doesn't necessarily have to be the Polish culture because you can just sub-out that word. Its funny for people to make jokes out of large stereotypes, true or not, and its funny for people to make fun of others. Thats how it works.
moe said...
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if this is funny to me but I also am not sure if it's offensive. I didn't laugh at it so I guess I didn't find it to be particularly funny and when placing other races in the joke I found it to be kinda sad that we say these sorts of things... I think Jesus would like Poland!
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ReplyDeleteI'm polish and I've decided to do what the African American people did with their word "nigger" and changed it to "nigga" and made it their word to use strictly between people of the same culture . Likewise to the word Polak instead of making it like a god forbidden word to say if we could use it almost in fun if you will then that would make it way less intolerable word but almost a word of endearment. Share your opinion on my email hfrumm@mail.com if you agree less anger if you don't thats fine too . Till then peace out my Polaks !!!!!
ReplyDelete