Fun_People Archive
17 Oct
Re: Socially irresponsible humor

Date: Mon, 17 Oct 94 13:12:43 PDT
To: Fun_People
Subject: Re: Socially irresponsible humor

Forwarded-by: Dave@yost.com (Dave Yost)
Forwarded-by: Rochelle Grober <rocky@cadence.com>
Forwarded-by:  sidney@taurus.apple.com
Forwarded-by: "Andrew A. Bennett" <abennett@MIT.EDU>
Forwarded-by: Espacionaute Spiff domine! <MATOSSIAN%ARIES@VAXF.Colorado.EDU>
...
From: bks@ircam.fr (Bennett Smith)

...

OK, so there were these three different ethnics, see?  And they needed to
get this task done.  So the first one tries... and he fails.  But he fails
in a way that is characteristic of his ethnicity.  So the second one says
"Here, I'll do it," and he tries and _he_ fails... in a way that is
characteristic of _his_ ethnicity, but _analogous_ to the way the first
guy failed.  So the third guy says "Come on, let me try."  So he tries
and HE fails... in a way that is characteristic of his ethnicity but NOT
analogous to the way the first and second guys failed!

...

Q:  How many people belonging to a certain ethnic group does it take
    to perform a particular menial activity?
A:  A finite positive integer.  One to perform the activity, and the
    rest to behave in a manner stereotypical of their ethnic group!

© 1994 Peter Langston