Re: Why ethnical jokes?

Matt Silberstein (matts2@ix.netcom.com)
Mon, 30 Sep 1996 16:01:24 GMT

In sci.anthropology sschang@brill.acomp.usf.edu (Sloan A Schang)
wrote:

>> Also, remember that not all ethnic jokes involves negative
>> stereotypes. They can also involve a positive cultural self image.
>>
>
>Is that really possible? Do you have any examples? I like to think that I
>can approach any problem with a
> holistic slant, but I'm stumped on this one.

</joke mode on>

So a great talmudic scholar dies and goes to heaven. And God welcomes
him to heaven, and because of his work and his good deeds the scholar
is invited to sit at the table with God and all of the great people of
the world.

God says to the scholar, "Welcome to heaven, And in honor of you work
why don't you expound on a point of Law for us?"

So the scholar thinks and think, but he can't think of a point of Law
important enough to discuss in front of God. So he says, "Lord, if you
will expound on a point of Law, I will refute it."

</joke mode off>

(For those who don't know about Talmudic tradition, much of the
process consists of expounding and refuting points of Law to try to
get at the meaning of the point."

Matt Silberstein
====================================
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day
Teach a man to fish, he eats his whole life
Teach a village to fish, they depopulate the lake