Politicallyincorrectjokes

Discussion
Readthis joke about a blind person.ls it funny?
A blind man and his guide dog went into a department store to do some
by the tail and
Christmas shopping. Atl of a sudden, the man picked up his dog"sir!
started to swing it)round in a circle. A salesassistantshouted, Can I hellt
"No "I'm
yctu?" thanks," the blind man replied, iust looking"'
joke which upset
Have you ever laughed at something that other people thought was not funny or told a
people? Describe the situation.
ls it OK to tel jokes about anything and everything? Would any or all of the following offend you? Why?
. a ioke about a physicallydisabledperson
. a joke that makes fun of women
. a ioke that makes fun of men
. a loke that makes fun of the elderly
. a ioke that ridiculesa particularreligion
. a ioke involving a particular country or nationality
. a loke making fun of lawyers
. a ioke that makes fun of blondes
Do you know any jokes involving any of the above?
ls there a particular group of people in your country who are often the object of jokes?

Language
Use the correct form of these verbs to complete the jokes below:
pLtt drown make climb say
haue call take retrdtn throw

1.How do you . . . a blonde laugh on 6. \fhy don't blondes get coffee breaks?
Friday? > It takes too long to . . . . . . them afterwards.
> Tell her a joke on Monday. 'V7hat
7. do intelligent blondes and UFOs
2.Howdoyou ...ablonde? ...incommon?
> Put a mirror on the bottom of a swimming > You often hear about them, but you never
pool. seeone.

3. What's the differencebetweena blonde and a 8. How many blondes does it . . . to screw
computer? in a light bulb?
> You only have to . . . information into > One. Sheholds the bulb still and the world
a computer once. revolvesaround her.

4. Why did the blonde . . . over the glass 9. IX/hatdo you . . . a blonde with half a
wirll? brain?
> Tcrseewhat was on the other side. > Gifted.

S.What do you do if a blonde . . . . . . . - a 10.What would a blonde ' . . if her doctor

grenadeat you? told her that she was pregnant?
> Pull the pin out and throw it back. > Is it mine?

Did you find these jokes offensive? Do you know anybody who would? Are they blonde?
it to
Thi;k about a joke that you know and try to translate it into English. Write it down first and then tell
a classmate.

Politically incorrect iokes Taboosand /ssues

Reading
The authors would like to make it clear that none of the following jokes has been written by them. They
are typical of jokes which exist in books of jokes and on joke websites.The jokes printed here are among
the least offensive! As you read the jokes below, rate each one for its level of humour and level of
offensiveness:
HUMOUR A: very funny B: a bit funny C: not funny
OFFENSIVENESS A: verv offensive B: a little offensive C: not offensiveat all

loke 1 loke 7
Q: How can you tell when a lawyeris lying? How do you make a cat go 'woof'?.
A : H i s l i p sa r em o v i n g . Soak it in petrol and throw it on the fire.

foke 2 foke B
A womanwas payingfor someitemsin a There was a young man from Calcutta,
supermarket - a pint of milk,a packetof bacon,a Who had the most terrible stutter,
smallbagof rice and a few vegetables.The man at H e s a i d , P a s st h e h - h a m ,
the checkoutsaid,"l betyou'resingle,aren'tyou?" And the 1r-ffjam,
"Well yes,I am,"the womanreplied."How
did you And the b-b-b-b-b-b-butter.
know?""Because you'rereallyveryugly,"replied
the man. foke 9
A young man with a wild and multi-coloured
foke 3 hairstylesits next to an old man on a park bench.
HOW TO IMPRESS A WOMAN The old man staresat the young man. "What's the
Compliment her,cuddleher,kissher,caressher, matter,old man?" saysthe young man. "Never done
love her,strokeher,comfort her,protecther,hug a n y t h i n gc r a z y i n y o u r l i f e ? "T h e o l d m a n r e p l i e s :
"Yeah. When I was in the Navy, I got really
her,wine and dine her,buy giftsfor her,listento drunk
her,respecther,standby her,supporther,go to the one night and had sex with a parrot. I thought you
endsof the earthfor her. might be my son."

HOW TO IMPRESS A MAN loke 10

Arrivenaked... with beer. Q: How do you know when you're too fat?
A: When you step on the scalesand it says 'To
foke 4 be continued.'
How do you makea dog drink?
P u ti t i n a l i q u i d i s e r . foke 11
Q: If your wife comes out of the kitchen to nag you,
foke 5 what have you done wrong?
Q: How do men sorttheirlaundry? A: Made her chain too long.
A: 'Filthy'and
' F i l t h yb u t s t i l lw e a r a b l e . '
foke 12
foke 6 Q : W h y d o l t a l i a nm e n w e a r l o t s o f g o l d c h a i n s
Q: What hasfour legsand eightarms? a r o u n dt h e i r n e c k s ?
A: A pit-bullterrierin a children's
playground. A: So they know when to stop shaving.

Match the following reactions to the relevantjokes above:

a. Anybody who thinks setting fire to an animal is funny needspsychiatrichelp. They are sick!
b. That's in really bad taste.Peoplewho have a speechimpedimenr can'r help it.
c. I don't think you should joke about people'sappearance.It's not their fault!
d.I don't get it. (I don't understandthe johe.)

Discussion
Did you find any of the jokes offensive or 'sick'? Which, it any?
Who would be offended by the jokes above? Consider each one with a partner.
Are there any categories of jokes that you would describe as offensive that were not included above?

Taboosand /ssues Pol iticaIly incorrectjoke s