Reviving America’s Dying Sense of Humor |
Ah, St. Patrick's Day is upon us — a fine time to restore our sense of humor.
More than 20 years ago, British sociologist Christie Davies wrote in “The Mirth of Nations” that Americans were becoming as nervous about swapping jokes as people once were in communist Eastern Europe — a warning he issued well before cancel culture.
Which makes me long for the jokes my dad and Uncle Mike — a child of Irish immigrants — shared on Sundays, such as this one:
“Mike,” says Pat, “If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you like most to be with?”
“Me uncle Malachy,” says Mike.
“He’s got a boat,” says Mike.
Davies noted that nearly every country has a neighboring group that is the butt of such jokes — in England it was the Irish, in France the Belgians and in America the Poles.
Though the English may have told Irish jokes to mock the Irish, Americans of Irish descent share........