"Is It Possible To Tell A Joke Without A Single Stereotype?" Topic

Can you think of a funny joke that used absolutely no stereotypes of 1) people, 2) places or 3) things?

If you know that joke, I'd sure love to hear it!

Dan

Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get away from Sandor "The Hound" Clegane.

Or does that stereotype chickens? ;-)

Two men walked into a bar, the third one ducked.

a priest, a minister, and a rabbi
walk into a bar

the bar tender says
"what is this, some kind of joke?"

Two fish in a tank. One says

"any idea how to drive this thing?"

Fail. Not sure. FAIL. Fail.

That last one assumes that fish can't solve problems on their own, without the help of others and their inventions. Very derogatory.

Dan

I asked my doctor
if my heart was strong enough for sex

he said
not if I join in

How do you tell an elephant from a grape?
A grape is purple.

Why are elephants colored grey?
So you can tell them from canaries.

What is it that looks like an elephant and flies?
A flying elephant.

What is it that looks like an elephant and flies and is very dangerous?
A flying elephant with a machine gun.

Why are pirates so cool? Because they Arrrrrrrrrrgh.

Dan,

You are just plain evil……………

Dave

I think not.
If the subject of a joke is not a sterotype, then it's an architype, you cannot get away from them. A good joke, not a "shaggy dog story" is quick, punchy, two short sentences. So, as in Private Matters joke above, the use of one word "pirate" conjures up all sorts of images including the "Aaaargh matey", which is what gives it the humour.

But I've been wrong before.

See!!! You stereotypers/stereotypists, you! :)

Dan
link

What's long, tubular and filled with Seamen? A submarine.

What's brown and sticky? A stick.

What has four wheels and flies? A garbage truck.

I think that last one would be insulting to most flies!

Dan

According to Paul Provenza, "Comedy is the only performing-art form where the crowd gets to determine its existence."

It's an oversimplified conclusion, but there's a line to be crossed with stereotyping. It's up to what sort of a human being you are where you place the line.

What's purple, is squishy, makes a weird squeaking noise and causes the lights to turn off when you throw it at a wall ?

Pure Coincidence.

When you tell the Navy to secure a building, they turn off the lights and lock the doors.
When you tell the Army to secure a building, they surround it with barbed wire and post a sentry.
When you tell the Marine Corps to secure a building, they storm it with bayonet and hand grenade.
And when you tell the Air Force to secure a building, they lease with an option to buy.

The line between stereotypes and cultural differences is hazy, but all the best jokes involve cultural differences.

Jesus is on the cross and as he hangs in obvious pain, his eyes look down at the gathered crowd and he spots Peter.
"Peter, I need you."
The crowd starts to wonder and ask who is this Peter?
Peter is afraid and says nothing.
Again Jesus says "Peter I need you."
Peter cannot deny his lord and starts up the hill.
Upon seeing this, the crowd beat him and kick him until he is on the ground.
Jesus says louder, "Peter, I need you!"
Peter gets to his feet and yells, "I'm coming my lord!"
Again, the crowd beats him down.
Again Jesus wails, "Peter, I need you!"
Peter rises battered and bloody and yells, "I'm coming lord!"
The crowd goes after Peter, but he fights like a man possessed and beats back the crowd.
Peter, climbs the hill, and then climbs up to Jesus, beaten and bloody he reaches his lord, and says, "I'm here Lord, I'm here, what do you need."
Jesus looks at him and says, "Peter,I can see your house from here."

Many ethnic 'jokes' are ancient, some first appear in written form before 1200AD and are still being told today, just the name of the parties changed as the centuries go by.

This is a very good question. I've often wondered the same thing. I guess as shown by the jokes in the thread, you can do it, it they seem to be very simplistic, kid type jokes.

What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back?
A stick

What's brown and sounds like a bell?
Dung

Read this morning, made me laugh -

"Me: I'm having a really good day except for newpussycat"

"Friend: What's newpussycat?"

"Me: Whoaaaaa, whoaaaaa, oooohhh"

Why is 6 afraid of 7?
Because 7 8 9.

Why isn't phonetic?

What's wrong with stereotypes? Maybe they are an oversimplification, but if stereotypes weren't often true; there wouldn't be stereotypes.

I don't think its fair that chickens can't cross a road without having their motives questioned.

What's wrong with stereotypes?

For your reading pleasure:

link

Good point! Learning by association involves building upon stereotypes (generalizations).

Dan

Read this a few years ago. Very challenging to tease out what makes something funny.

link

Learning by association involves building upon stereotypes (generalizations).

And there's the problem! Generalisations & stereotypes are not the same thing. Sloppy thinking has tended to merge the two quite distinct concepts in modern society.

link

link

Lots of articles these days seem to focus only how they differ and not so much about how they overlap, and they don't really help people see that not all stereotypes are automatically evil.

Stereotypical attorney – I've been burned so many times before that I don't give new ones much of a break. I simply refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt any longer. My wallet and legal standing (and that of my loved ones) matter much more than the hurt feelings of an attorney I've just met.

Same goes for a lot of other things that our touch-freely society wants us to see as evil, but are completely unnatural to suppress and doing so is illogical and could potentially put one at risk. Personal perception (theirs only) seems to be 9/10 of the law when they put their side on social or any media.

But, going back to the point of humor, the REAL subject of this thread … If professional comedians are the only people society permits to do comedy, and can thus get away with using humorous stereotypes with impunity (obvious stereotypes and not simple generalizations), then perhaps they need to go though a very rigorous licensing and certification process and pay society an added fee for their exception status. :)

Dan

The only rule that is important in telling a joke is, "did it makes people laugh?". And I'm not talking about faked laugher. Anyone can fake a laugh. But if something really strikes you as funny to the point of uncontrollable laughter that you can't suppress, than you know it is real. An there is nothing in the world wrong with authentic laughter that you can't control. It's part of being human.

I look at stereotypes like looking at demographics about a group of people. It's a general perception obtained over time based on observations or scientific research. Like I said, if there was not some element of truth to stereotypes, than there would not be stereotypes. The key is to never judge an INDIVIDUAL person based on stereotypes, because that person may be an exception and everyone deserves to be judged on their own merits.

The key is to never judge an INDIVIDUAL person based on stereotypes, because that person may be an exception and everyone deserves to be judged on their own merits.

Close but doesn't get the cigar. Never judge ANYONE based on stereotypes etc. is closer to the truth. EVERYONE is the exception. That's what being human is about, not "authentic" laughter (whatever that means). Using stereotypes is, at best, simplistic, at worst bigoted. I'd also suggest part of being human is living up to high standards. Just because some yokel laughs at something, that neither validates the topic or makes it funny. People used to laugh at those who were crippled or suffered mental disorders. Funny? Really?

You seem to have an agenda CC: darned if I know what it is.
Generalisations & stereotypes are *not* the same thing & if ignorant people tell you they are, it doesn't make it correct. (check my descriptive adjective: that gives it away).
I know that various racists tell racist "jokes" but that's not about humour. It's about prejudice. Clearly you can't be talking about such.

Ochoin: "You seem to have an agenda CC: darned if I know what it is."

That is certainly hilarious because I was beginning to think that of you! Lol.

Anyway, what's your stereotype-free joke for the group? Or was that it?

"4. Sociology. a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group:
The cowboy and Indian are American stereotypes."
link

Dan
PS. One last serious point before we get back to the jokes … If my profession or clique has created a smear of an impression on the minds of other people, it is then up to ME to prove that I'm the exception. We each need to prove we are different from and better than anything or anyone that came before us. You of course are welcome to disagree all you like. Let's just do so elsewhere.

I don't find this thread amusing anymore &to be honest, I'm not sure that was your original intention. So: hasta la vista.

youtu.be/eaYHJ9olFQU

If he didn't like the thread, why did he post. It's now obvious who had the agenda here. Some people who deny stereotypes are actually the ones who carry the worst stereotypes within them and are extremely judgmental people of their fellow humans. Every person should be judged on their own merits. Sad that that is so hard for some people to understand.

USAFPilot: "If he didn't like the thread, why did he post. It's now obvious who had the agenda here."

Yeah, I sensed something there too.

Dan

But in the end it boils down to some people and groups have no sense of humor, period. A mature person can laugh at themselves and enjoy it. An immature person or grivance monger cannot.

"Knock, knock!"

"Dave's not here!"

Lol. So Ochoin's name is Dave? I didn't know.

Dan

I saw a horse fly and a board walk.

Is it possible to do a limerick without it being lewd.

There once was a man from Calcutta
who coated his tonsils with butta
Thus converting his snore
From a thunderous roar
To a soft oleoaginous mutta.

The one L lama he's a priest
The two L LLama he's a beast
But I will bet a silk pajama
you've yet to see
a Three L Lama.

Hey Ochoin… good riddance, don't let the door slap you in the ass on the way out.

You are both a joke and a sterotype.