Tag Archives: Joke

Batman Leaves Church Early

Context: The respondent first saw this joke posted on someone’s social profile.

H.K. : What do you call Batman who leaves church early?
P.Z. : What do you call Batman… um, bats in the belfry. I literally don’t know.
H.K. : Mm ‘kay. Christian Bale.

Thoughts: As cringe-worthy as this joke may be, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had been stumped by this riddle, as it had modern pop culture references that I’m unused to hearing in riddles. Like many other jokes or riddles though, it used the traditional play on words format.

Mexican Joke: Why did God put Mexico next to the USA?

TEXT: “Sabias due cuando dios hizo el mundo, decidió hacer un país, y dijo así, ‘ a este país le voy a dar millones de kilómetros de playas con el mar mas bonito y caliente, le voy a dar el 90 por ciento de la plata del mundo, le voy a dar petróleo, oro, el mejor clima, y la belleza natural mas increíble que hay’. Entonces un asistente le pregunta , ‘pero dios, porque le das tanto a ese país Mexico?’ “porque le voy a poner a los Mexicanos al lado de los Gringos.’”

INFORMANT DESCRIPTION: Male, 58, Mexican

CONTEXT: This joke is at the expense of Americans but in the context that Mexico lost half of its territory to the US. The joke is to say that God compensated for all the beauty and riches in Mexico by making its neighbor the States. He learned it from his parents, he said it is traditional that parents would tell this joke to their kids when talking about American domination of the world. It is also a joke out of spite, considering Mexico has an economy that lags to the States’ to this day. To him it means that we are subservient to American influence and better joke about it. He likes it because both it reminds him of his childhood and is also historical and witty. Light hearted fun to realpolitiks.

TRANSLATION: “Did you know that when God made the world, he decided to make a country, and he said, ‘to this country I am going to give millions of kilometers of beaches with the most beautiful and warm sea, y am going to give it 90 percent of the silver in the world, I am going to give it petroleum, gold, the best weather, the most incredible natural beauty there is’ and so an assistant asks him, ‘but God, why are you giving so much to this country Mexico?’ ‘Because I am going to put the Mexicans next to the Americans’.”

THOUGHTS: I think this joke is funny to hear as a Mexican-American. I think while it does poke fun it also sheds reverse light on the insecurities and resent of the Mexicans. It is also quite light hearted and seems benign. 

Colombian Two Penguins in the Shower Joke

TEXT: “Hay dos pingüinos en la regadera y uno se voltea al otro y le dice, “me pasas el jabon”, y el otro se voltea y le contesta, “que me veo como un radio o que?”

INFORMANT DESCRIPTION: Colombian, male, 49

CONTEXT: This man told me this joke and I truly was very confused for several minutes. I told him I did not understand. He told me that you are not supposed to. But that this joke is meant to be told very late at night, after 4 or 5 am, among men usually who have been drinking, He described it as “a specific time of the night, when you’ve laughed for hours and it seems that everything has become funny. You say this joke and at that point everything is hilarious and the joke is hilarious.”

TRANSLATION: “There’s two penguins in the shower and one turns to the other and says, “will you pass me the soap?” And the other turns to him and says, “what do I look like a radio?”

THOUGHTS: I thought this was the most bizarre thing I’d ever heard and when I heard the explanation it absolutely made sense in my mind. I know those hazy moments when you’ve been laughing so hard it seems the laughter just wants to continue. I thought this was very funny and sweet and I wonder if it actually does garner laughs in that setting.

Polish Joke: Six cars, six shirts

TEXT: “Przy plaży spacerowało i rozmawiało dwóch Żydów:

– Jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć pałaców, czy dasz mi jeden?

– Oczywiście!

– A jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć samochodów, czy dasz mi jeden?

– Oczywiście!

– A jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć koszulek, czy dasz mi jedną?

– Nie ma mowy!

– Dlaczego nie?

– Bo mam sześć koszulek!”

INFORMANT DESCRIPTION: Male, 82, Polish, Jewish

CONTEXT: This polish man told me this joke. He translated it to English for me after I heard him saying in Polish to his also Polish friend. He explained that he learned the joke from his parents. The joke is about the stereotype that Jewish people are cheap or thrifty but he said that the beauty of the joke is that it seems the other man is not cheap until the scenario becomes real. Also he explained that when he was growing up in Poland in the 1940s really nobody had six cars, now the joke has changed in its absurdity because it is more common to have more cars, especially in the industrialized booming economy of the States. The joke was told anytime you wanted to make a joke and were among Jewish people that would not take offense. Or when they were all around sharing jokes about judaism as a family to get a laugh out of each other. 

ORIGINAL SCRIPT: “ Przy plaży spacerowało i rozmawiało dwóch Żydów:

– Jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć pałaców, czy dasz mi jeden?

– Oczywiście!

– A jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć samochodów, czy dasz mi jeden?

– Oczywiście!

– A jeśli kiedykolwiek miałeś sześć koszulek, czy dasz mi jedną?

– Nie ma mowy!

– Dlaczego nie?

– Bo mam sześć koszulek!”

TRANSLATION: “Two Jew men were walking and chatting by the beach:

– If you ever had six palaces, will you give me one?

– Of course!

– And if you ever had six cars, will you give me one?

– Of course!

– And if you ever had six shirts, will you give me one?

– No way!

– Why not?

– Because I do have six shirts!”

THOUGHTS: I think I am accustomed to not enjoy jokes that are at another person’s expense but this one seems to be really for people that are of this religion and have an understanding of the stereotype and are able to be comedic about it.

Taste the Soup

Nationality: American
Age: 65
Occupation: Filmmaker
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/19/21
Primary Language: English

BACKGROUND: GH is the interviewer’s father.


GH: “ “Guy goes into a restaurant, orders soup. Soup’s delivered. After awhile, he signals the waiter. The waiter says “sir, is there a problem with the soup?”
The man says, “taste the soup.”
“Is it too hot?”
“Taste the soup.”
“is it too cold?”
“tASTE the soup.”
“Is it too spicy?”
“Taste the soup.”
“Is it too bland?”
“Taste the soup.”
Finally, the waiter, now exasperated, says “okay.” He goes down to taste the soup, and says “there’s no spoon.”
The man: “A-HA!””
My dad used to tell me the joke, and I used to say “taste the soup” when someone finally came up with a solution to a problem, often one right in front of us. No one ever got it.”


ANALYSIS: “Taste the soup” is a traditional folk joke, one that has become specific family folklore. Eddie Murphy performed it in Coming to America, but my father had heard it for decades prior as a young boy. The punchline has been appropriated as a short-hand, which shows the joke’s dexterity and cultural staying power (even if not many get it).