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The Last Laugh
POLISH PEOPLE ARE TWO SMARTE
I'm Polish and I love Polish jokes because they're so absurd. That's what makes them so funny. Apparently, I'm the only Pole who feels this way. Don't ever tell a Pole a Polish joke. No sense of humor there. Of course, I found this out the hard way.
I make fun of myself in my act about going bald (balding, balding!), being married three times, being a techo idiot and being Polish. I do a joke about Polish soldiers in Iraq looking for landmines by stomping on the ground while holding their ears (I've earned the right to joke about Iraq because I've been over there five times). It's funny because nobody really thinks a soldier would actually do that. Wrong!
Several times that ridiculous joke has gotten me in trouble with the Poles. I had an elegant couple screaming at me after a show telling me they were going to report me to the Polish Consulate. The woman was nearly in tears; her husband foaming at the mouth. In retrospect, perhaps I shouldn't have said "why, because you didn't get a Polish joke? Pretty much proves you wrong."
The woman went ballistic. She started yelling, "why don't you do jokes about the blacks?"
Ah , because I'm white.
"Why don't you tell Jewish jokes? They're funny people." (She actually said that.)
Because I'm not Jewish.
This didn't even make a dent in her anger. "Have you been to Poland?"
No.
"You should go. It's a beautiful country full of wonderful people. We have a tremendous sense of humor. We tell Polish jokes all the time."
Hold it. You tell Polish jokes?
"All the time."
But your'e offended if I do?
"Yes."
Ma'am, this conversation is over.
I think the Poles reeact so strongly out of both pride and an inferiorty complex; i.e. Poles are stupid. That's just ridiculous. Poles are not stupid. I'm sure there are a few stupid Poles just as every group has dumb, snooty, overbearing, drunken idiots no one wants to claim. My job is to point out the absurd and make fun of it. American humor is aimed at everyone but,first and foremost, at ourselves. We're an equal opportunity offender. My thinking is if I laugh at myself the audience can laugh at themselves as well and, hopefully, breaking down misconceptions about each other. The Polish people have contributed much to better our world in astronomy, music, mathmatics, literature, philosophy and even humor. Just don't tell the Poles that last part or you'll be reported to the Polish Consulate two.
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