Date: Thu, 1 Feb 1996 22:25:15 -0500 To: socgrad@UCSD.EDU From: Andrew Miller Subject: jokes are.... well... funny? Okay, I'm not really sure what is going on here. Mike Lichter posted a very funny note that has many knickers in knots. While some have used this as an opportunity to type, others have used this as an opportunity to flame (while forwarding their own "thing"). This recent flurry of activity is silly. >From a post today: Perhaps I'm getting nowhere in these speculations. What we really need is some empirical data-- and ways of collecting it! How, after all, does one measure a joke? Not all jokes involve public laughter, especially not by people who are oppressed! So maybe I've even picked an impossible topic to study! Maybe, just maybe... 1. Not everything requires this type of dissection. 2. Jokes can be funny... you *can* laugh at them. 3. This kind of "I must analyze and study this to find its TRUTH" nonsense is exactly what makes academics look foolish. 4. I hope NONE of this is what T.R. would consider "progressive." 5. If you look closely enough at ANYTHING, with the conviction that there is racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, whatever-ism, you WILL find it... but SO WHAT??? Pat yourself on the back... because you found it (???) 6. Everyone (everyone!) should lighten up. DISCLAIMER: To the original poster of the above excerpt: I do not mean to single you out here... but this last paragraph seems to sum up all that seems to have been going on these last few days on the list. To those who take issue with the above opinion: The above is *JUST* opinion. You are welcome to yours too. Best, -Andrew ================================================== == dread@acs.bu.edu == Andrew P. Miller == ================================================== == Boston University == Department of Sociology == ================================================== == "Wake up and live !" - Robert Nesta Marley == ==================================================