A refined sense of humour or just xenophobia?

[Globalti]

I heard a new joke today, or rather an old joke for the first time:

"Why is the Pope German? Because he got his towel on the Vatican balcony first!"

Here's another, which I think fits in the same genre:

"My Grandad died at the Somme.... oh, he wasn't in the Army; he was camping in the field next door and he went over to complain about the noise!"

So what do these jokes have in common? Is it the unexpected end, always an essential ingredient of a joke, or is it the slightly xenophobic/British centred flavour?

Got any more, which fit in this odd category?

 

[rich p]

I don't think the second one is xenophobic. The first one is funny because we like to take the poke fun of the Hun but in my case at least I don't regard it as xenophobic. I'm just as happy to find our own stereotyped behaviour amusing.

The second one is funny because of the irreverent, unexpected twist; a bit like the trenches joke about the tommy in the shellhole overnight....

I#m not certain but we the British may do the cynical, dark humour better than most countries.

 

[gbb]

Xenophobia suggests a hatred or mistrust....i dont think that's really the case....is it

I read a book once, written in 1910 by a lady whos name has dissapeared into obscurity...but it identified beautifully all the traits of peoples across the world...a few pages on each nationality.
The thing was, even now, it seemed to fit with our knack to identify others weaknesses. I guess we've never changed.

 

[Mr Pig]

Is it the unexpected end, always an essential ingredient of a joke

You think? ;0)

Not bad jokes though, thank you :0)

 

[Smokin Joe]

"Gute morning, prisoners. Zis afternoon ze English hut vil play cricket against ze Australian hut. It vil be for ze ashes.............of ze Jews".

 

[Noodley]

British or English humour?

 

[Noodley]

British, definitely. We are a United Kingdom after all.

I would say there is a distinct humour divide...

 

[Maz]

Englishman, Jamaican and Pakistani go into a pub...












...What a wonderful advert for racial harmony.

 

[mickle]

"Gute morning, prisoners. Zis afternoon ze English hut vil play cricket against ze Australian hut. It vil be for ze ashes.............of ze Jews".

A new low. Not even zarking remotely funny.

 

[Smokin Joe]

A new low. Not even zarking remotely funny.

An old low. Heard it decades ago and many times since, including once from a Jewish guy I worked with who had a whole fund of Jewish jokes.

 

[Fnaar]

Englishman, Jamaican and Pakistani go into a pub...

...and the barman says... "Is this some kind of a joke?"

 

[goo_mason]

Englishman, Jamaican and Pakistani go into a pub...


...What a wonderful advert for racial harmony.

Bernard Righton - a class act !

Get the original of this joke here:
View: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=svLyyzBC_qI