Too funny. Lt-Gov makes controversial (and other less controversial) jokes that are really good. And this journalist nails the response quite appropriately.
http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/full-comment/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/11/03/john-crosbies-suicide-bomber-joke-funny
Hand wringing has ensued. The Post’s Scott Stinson plays the role of the humour police:
1. Is it funny?
Politicians are rarely as funny as they believe themselves to be but you have to admit that, in a vacuum, this is a solid joke. There’s the topically relevant part about jobs being outsourced to the Third World, and the trouble that arises when cultures clash. The reference to suicide bombers is edgy enough to achieve what one U.K. study on humour last year called the “benign violation of the way the world ought to be.” (Though one suspects Mr. Crosbie just thought it was good for a chuckle.) The joke has been criticized as “shocking,” but that’s the idea.
2. OK, but is it inappropriate?
Given that Mr. Crosbie is 80 years old, it would be easy to assume that inappropriateness would stem from some kind of racial issue, like when Grandma lets slip at the dinner table that her purse is missing and she’s pretty sure that the cleaning lady took it because, you know. But this joke is actually not a comment on the Pakistani people, and instead takes a shot at the number of suicide bombings that take place in that country. Many, of course, are committed by foreigners. And you couldn’t make the same joke about Afghanistan or Iraq, because though they are riven by terrorism, neither is a hotbed of call centres.
3. So, that’s it? All’s well with the joke?
Not totally. If there’s a point to be made about inappropriateness, it’s that suicide is not the best of subjects for a joke. Mr. Crosbie, in his jag on the world economy, also cracked that the things were so bad that “Exxon Mobil laid off 25 congressmen.” Bam! There’s a joke that makes fun of the safest target for politicians: politicians.
4. What about the setting?
I’ll admit to being surprised that the swearing-in ceremony for the provincial cabinet is apparently a place for the lieutenant-governor to deliver a stand-up comedy routine. (In addition to explaining the humour of his joke, Mr. Crosbie told a local paper about the Exxon joke and the one he used about how the economy was so bad “a truckload of Americans were caught sneaking into Mexico.” He’ll be here all week, folks. Try the seal.
5. Is Mr. Crosbie backing down?
Kind of. He told the hometown Telegram that he meant no offence to Pakistanis, and went on to outline just who, exactly, the joke was about. ““It’s not that they’re associated with terrorists, the joke is that we’re using people like this to phone all over North America, Europe, etc., because it’s cheaper for the (companies) who use them to do that,” he said. “It’s got nothing to do with that they’re sympathetic with terrorists, but we know, of course, that in Pakistan there are a large number of terrorists, so that’s the joke.” That’s all true, but anytime you have been reduced to spelling out the humour in a joke, you have sadly killed it dead. Mr. Crosbie seems aware of this fact. He told the Globe and Mail that he would be “more circumspect and boring” in the future. Boo to that.
6. Why do you have your hand raised?
I just want to point out that a report on this Thursday from the wire service Agence France-Presse described Mr. Crosbie as “the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in the eastern province.” I think this marks the first time anyone ever told a suicide-bombing joke on her behalf.
7. What’s the final verdict of the humour police?
It’s understandable that the Premier’s office would issue a statement calling the joke “clearly inappropriate,” if only because she doesn’t want Mr. Crosbie to turn every official event into a Night at the Improv. But if you are going to get your knickers in a knot, to use a term of Mr. Crosbie’s vintage, every time someone utters a joke of this nature, then the only alternative is to have politicians tell the soporific kind. “The President says NASA has found intelligent life on Mars! [pause] Now he wants them to find it in Congress.” And we don’t want that. Do we?
http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/full-comment/blog.html?b=fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/11/03/john-crosbies-suicide-bomber-joke-funny
posted from Bloggeroid
Scott Stinson, National Post
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
John
Crosbie, the lieutenant-governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, told an
edgy joke at a ceremony last week. The joke: “This fellow said, ‘I was
so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my
savings, social security, retirement funds, etc., I called a suicide
hotline and got a call centre in Pakistan. When I told them I was
suicidal, they got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.’ ”Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
Hand wringing has ensued. The Post’s Scott Stinson plays the role of the humour police:
1. Is it funny?
Politicians are rarely as funny as they believe themselves to be but you have to admit that, in a vacuum, this is a solid joke. There’s the topically relevant part about jobs being outsourced to the Third World, and the trouble that arises when cultures clash. The reference to suicide bombers is edgy enough to achieve what one U.K. study on humour last year called the “benign violation of the way the world ought to be.” (Though one suspects Mr. Crosbie just thought it was good for a chuckle.) The joke has been criticized as “shocking,” but that’s the idea.
“Sorry, please repeat that joke.” AFP/Getty Images
Given that Mr. Crosbie is 80 years old, it would be easy to assume that inappropriateness would stem from some kind of racial issue, like when Grandma lets slip at the dinner table that her purse is missing and she’s pretty sure that the cleaning lady took it because, you know. But this joke is actually not a comment on the Pakistani people, and instead takes a shot at the number of suicide bombings that take place in that country. Many, of course, are committed by foreigners. And you couldn’t make the same joke about Afghanistan or Iraq, because though they are riven by terrorism, neither is a hotbed of call centres.
3. So, that’s it? All’s well with the joke?
Not totally. If there’s a point to be made about inappropriateness, it’s that suicide is not the best of subjects for a joke. Mr. Crosbie, in his jag on the world economy, also cracked that the things were so bad that “Exxon Mobil laid off 25 congressmen.” Bam! There’s a joke that makes fun of the safest target for politicians: politicians.
4. What about the setting?
I’ll admit to being surprised that the swearing-in ceremony for the provincial cabinet is apparently a place for the lieutenant-governor to deliver a stand-up comedy routine. (In addition to explaining the humour of his joke, Mr. Crosbie told a local paper about the Exxon joke and the one he used about how the economy was so bad “a truckload of Americans were caught sneaking into Mexico.” He’ll be here all week, folks. Try the seal.
5. Is Mr. Crosbie backing down?
Kind of. He told the hometown Telegram that he meant no offence to Pakistanis, and went on to outline just who, exactly, the joke was about. ““It’s not that they’re associated with terrorists, the joke is that we’re using people like this to phone all over North America, Europe, etc., because it’s cheaper for the (companies) who use them to do that,” he said. “It’s got nothing to do with that they’re sympathetic with terrorists, but we know, of course, that in Pakistan there are a large number of terrorists, so that’s the joke.” That’s all true, but anytime you have been reduced to spelling out the humour in a joke, you have sadly killed it dead. Mr. Crosbie seems aware of this fact. He told the Globe and Mail that he would be “more circumspect and boring” in the future. Boo to that.
“Hee hee hee.” AFP/Getty Images
I just want to point out that a report on this Thursday from the wire service Agence France-Presse described Mr. Crosbie as “the representative of Queen Elizabeth II in the eastern province.” I think this marks the first time anyone ever told a suicide-bombing joke on her behalf.
7. What’s the final verdict of the humour police?
It’s understandable that the Premier’s office would issue a statement calling the joke “clearly inappropriate,” if only because she doesn’t want Mr. Crosbie to turn every official event into a Night at the Improv. But if you are going to get your knickers in a knot, to use a term of Mr. Crosbie’s vintage, every time someone utters a joke of this nature, then the only alternative is to have politicians tell the soporific kind. “The President says NASA has found intelligent life on Mars! [pause] Now he wants them to find it in Congress.” And we don’t want that. Do we?
