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