Riddle – United States of America

What do you call a lesbian dinosaur?

—A LICKALOTTAPUSS!

Carlos said that he learned this joke from a cousin of his while he was in middle school. He attended middle school in southern California. He does not remember exactly what age he was when he first heard it, but he guesses to have been between the age of 11 and 14. The riddle is told randomly with no real introduction. The riddle can be told anywhere but is usually only told to those of about the same age.

I asked Carlos why he repeated the riddle to other and he simply answered “because it’s funny”. The riddle seems to be more than just funny. It appears to be part of the transitional period between child and adult. The child is leaving behind the fantasy world of dinosaurs and other creatures which they play with and the sexualized American adult life. It is a period when ideas of sexual orientation play a big part because as children grow up they began to gain a sexual identity.