From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!floyd!peri!sbcs!port
Newsgroups: net.jokes.d
Title: Report on ethnics in jokes
Article-I.D.: sbcs.204
Posted: Mon Feb 14 16:52:06 1983
Received: Thu Feb 17 06:50:30 1983

     I am finally able to communicate the results of the "ethnics in ethnic
jokes" survey to you.

     Let us first survey the US.  I received several replies from the
Northwest and North Central areas indicating that Swedes and Norwegians were
popular targets there.  A correspondent from Washington state indicated that
other targets were the inhabitants of Ballard, where many people of these
extractions settled.  People from the South pick on blacks, of course,
people in Utah have jokes about Mormons, and people in New York City take it
out on those from New Jersey.  I also received two replies indicating that
Kentuckians are the butt of many stories told in southern Indiana.

     Now on to the more interesting international arena.  One who had spent
some time in Denmark indicated that the inhabitants of Copenhagen rag on
those from Aarhus, while those from Aarhus tell stories about those from the
area called Mols.  I completely forgot that those in Canada tell Newfie
stories (about those from Newfoundland), but I was also told that other
popular targets are Ukranians and Quebecois.  I also received two items
about Germany.  One that I had heard before was that Germans pick on the
East Frisians.  Another stated that the most common ethnic jokes in West
Germany are those that pick on the Americans.

     This all goes to support my belief that every culture has one or more
scapegoats.  I just hope that if everybody is picked on by somebody, things
will eventually even out.
 
                           Howard Port
                           State University of New York at Stony Brook