Many people argued that the last Polish joke could have been about any ethnicity, claiming that you could substitute Mexicans, Blondes, Italians for Polaks and it would still work. I found two more jokes about Polish women.
Q: Why don't Polish women use vibrators?
A: It chips their teeth.
Q: Why did someone throw horse shit onto the walls at the Polish wedding?
A: To keep the flies off the bride.
What do you think, are these Polish women jokes more or less offensive than the last joke?
What happens if you substitute Mexican, Black, or Italian women for Polish women? Does it make it more or less offensive or funny? Why or why not?
I didn't necessarily post them because I thought they were more specific. Truthfully I had a hard time finding Polish jokes that were very specific to Polish culture or Polish stereotypes, which might support the argument that Polish jokes could be about any group.
ReplyDeleteAre Polish people a "safe" or "safer" group to joke about? It seems like not very many people were offended because the Polish stereotype is not specific or well-known (especially in Colorado).
Nick, what I was mainly asking is do you think this joke would be more or less offensive if it targeted a different group? Are there groups that are more taboo to joke about?
I remember when I was a little girl and someone told my Busha (grandma in polish) a polish joke. She got upset and said, in her broken english, "why you let them make fun of you, polish people not dumb, they just kind-hearted"! I believe she was offended.
ReplyDeleteI think there are certain jokes that fit every stereotype. Some you can change the ethnic group and some you can not. It all depends on the joke.
If you think of them as jokes, no one should be offended. I think our society is becoming way to sensitive. A joke is meant to be funny. Sometimes we just need a good laugh.
I think that yes, any of these jokes would be more offensive if they targeted a different group. Just the way that jokes about hispanics or african americans seem to be more offensive. Im wondering why though and I think the answer is because its more offensive when you know someone from that group and realize that there has been a long standing set of racism towards that group. Then its maybe not the joke that is more offensive but that fact that you realize true racism probably still exists in some people. The other thing is about knowing someone from that ethnicity. Like I said if you have an african american friend or a hispanic friend you don't like people joking about them, but being Polish is such a general idea like being english or german, its basically just white, so it doesn't really feel like it has targeted anyone specifically.
ReplyDeletewhat does the vibrator joke mean? i don't get it !!!!!
ReplyDelete