Have you ever worn a turtleneck with a backpack?

It’s like getting choked by a really weak midget.

Alex is 24 years old; he was born in New Jersey, but was raised and lived the majority of his childhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He arrived in California for the first time when he was moving into his dorm room at USC in Los Angeles, California.  Currently, Alex is an alumni from USC with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Alex told me that he heard this joke recently from a friend while hanging out one night.  He said that he does not remember the context of the joke, but that his friend referenced Mitch Hedberg when he said it.

When Mitch Hedberg said this joke, he said, “Wearing a turtle neck is like being strangled by a really weak guy.  All day.. Like if you wear a turtle neck and a backpack, it’s like a weak midget trying to bring you down.”

This joke is very derogatory and insults small people. Alex says that he had never heard this joke before his friend told it to him, and he said he found it hilarious and true.

I had never heard this joke before Alex told it to me and thought it was extremely funny but mean.  It’s a funny joke, but would probably be considered offensive by those the joke referred to.  I also found it interesting how his friend had paraphrased the joke from where he heard it from and how conspicuous the variation of the folklore already is with just one transfer.

Hedgberg, M. (1999, January 04). Turtlenecks. Retrieved from http://comedians.jokes.com/mitch-hedberg/videos/mitch-hedberg—turtlenecks/