Philosophy
My Fellow Comedists,
I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so his nurse arranged to have a one-night-only affair at Carnegie Hall called "An Evening with Groucho" where he told stories and jokes to a packed house of admiring fans.
It seems like a fine time to think about a claim made by Ted Cohen in his book Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters. Cohen draws a distinction between conditional jokes that would only be understood by a group of people who had specialized knowledge presupposed in the joke and pure jokes that could be understood by everyone. He then claims that there are no pure jokes. All jokes, he contends, require some specialized understanding.
Is this true? Are there any pure jokes?
I heard Dick Cavett on the radio recounting one of his last dinners with Groucho in which a couple came up to the table and the man asked Groucho to insult his wife to which Groucho replied that "With a wife like that you should be able to think up your own insults." Is that not a pure joke? What group is that restricted to? Or what about the classic line from Animal Crackers "I got up one morning and shot an elephant in my pajamas. what he was doing in my pajamas, I'll never know." What is the restrictions on that one?
Are there really no pure jokes?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Most Classic Jokes In History
My Fellow Comedists, I am working on my contribution to this year's Lighthearted Philosophers' Society gathering. Part of my argument involves distinguishing between those jokes that are merely funny and those that are truly sublime. So, please...
- Take My Wife, Please
My Fellow Comedists, It's time to pass the plate again. In most religions they ask for money, but Comedists tithe jokes. In honor of Valentine's Day, let's do relationship jokes. So, dig deep and be generous. My offering is an old classic:...
- Passing The Plate: Take My Wife...please Edition
My Fellow Comedists, It is time to pass the plate again. Other religions ask you to donate money, but in Comedism we tithe jokes. So, dig deep and give to the worthiest of causes. In honor of TheWife's and my anniversary, let's do marriage jokes...
- Comic Marxists And Comic Platonists
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week was Groucho's birthday and it has led me to a place of Comedist meditation. I played an open mic at the Ragged Edge, a coffee house near campus, on Groucho's birthday Thursday...
- Feast Of Saint Zeppo
This week we commemorate the passing of Herbert Manfred Marx, best known as Zeppo. He is the Comedist version of Saint Jude. Often called the funniest of the Marx Brothers off-stage, in the act he was the straight man, always setting up the jokes, but...
Philosophy
Groucho and Pure Jokes
My Fellow Comedists,
I was unable to get this weekend's comedist post up in time, so let's do it today. This week marks the 50th anniversary of Groucho's last public performance. An aging Groucho was slipping into depression, so his nurse arranged to have a one-night-only affair at Carnegie Hall called "An Evening with Groucho" where he told stories and jokes to a packed house of admiring fans.
It seems like a fine time to think about a claim made by Ted Cohen in his book Jokes: Philosophical Thoughts on Joking Matters. Cohen draws a distinction between conditional jokes that would only be understood by a group of people who had specialized knowledge presupposed in the joke and pure jokes that could be understood by everyone. He then claims that there are no pure jokes. All jokes, he contends, require some specialized understanding.
Is this true? Are there any pure jokes?
I heard Dick Cavett on the radio recounting one of his last dinners with Groucho in which a couple came up to the table and the man asked Groucho to insult his wife to which Groucho replied that "With a wife like that you should be able to think up your own insults." Is that not a pure joke? What group is that restricted to? Or what about the classic line from Animal Crackers "I got up one morning and shot an elephant in my pajamas. what he was doing in my pajamas, I'll never know." What is the restrictions on that one?
Are there really no pure jokes?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- The Most Classic Jokes In History
My Fellow Comedists, I am working on my contribution to this year's Lighthearted Philosophers' Society gathering. Part of my argument involves distinguishing between those jokes that are merely funny and those that are truly sublime. So, please...
- Take My Wife, Please
My Fellow Comedists, It's time to pass the plate again. In most religions they ask for money, but Comedists tithe jokes. In honor of Valentine's Day, let's do relationship jokes. So, dig deep and be generous. My offering is an old classic:...
- Passing The Plate: Take My Wife...please Edition
My Fellow Comedists, It is time to pass the plate again. Other religions ask you to donate money, but in Comedism we tithe jokes. So, dig deep and give to the worthiest of causes. In honor of TheWife's and my anniversary, let's do marriage jokes...
- Comic Marxists And Comic Platonists
Brothers, Sisters, and Transgendered Comedists Everywhere, This week was Groucho's birthday and it has led me to a place of Comedist meditation. I played an open mic at the Ragged Edge, a coffee house near campus, on Groucho's birthday Thursday...
- Feast Of Saint Zeppo
This week we commemorate the passing of Herbert Manfred Marx, best known as Zeppo. He is the Comedist version of Saint Jude. Often called the funniest of the Marx Brothers off-stage, in the act he was the straight man, always setting up the jokes, but...