Topic: How many Polocks does it take to figure this one out?
becky219
The Red and the Green Stamps
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Does anyone have any idea how Polish people became thought of as stupid? I've heard a million Polish jokes, but not one person has ever been able to explain why this is.
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The Red and the Green Stamps
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I've heard it's a regional thing, often based on old rivalry/enmity(sp?). In England (don't know about the rest of Britain) it's the Irish, I've been told that in Germany it's the Belgians, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that in Sweden (where's Inge when we need her?) it's the Norwegians, or vice-versa...
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odaiwai
The Red and the Green Stamps
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quote:Originally posted by :: I've heard it's a regional thing, often based on old rivalry/enmity(sp?). In England (don't know about the rest of Britain) it's the Irish
In Ireland, we make fun of people from Kerry. I'm not sure who Kerrymen make fun of.
quote:Originally posted by :: I've heard it's a regional thing, often based on old rivalry/enmity(sp?). In England (don't know about the rest of Britain) it's the Irish, I've been told that in Germany it's the Belgians, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that in Sweden (where's Inge when we need her?) it's the Norwegians, or vice-versa...
In Spain we make fun of Lepe (a town in the province of Huelva that people is often amazed to learn of its existence outside jokes!).
I don't know if in Germany it's the Belgians, but if Asterix in Belgium is a reliable source, it definitely is in France.
Jaime
-------------------- "Everyone has problems. They only vary in design" - Mama Duck
quote:Originally posted by :: ...I wouldn't be surprised to hear that in Sweden (where's Inge when we need her?) it's the Norwegians, or vice-versa...
Both, actually. Here is a typical norwegian joke: Hvor mange svensker trengs det for å skru inn en lyspære? (How mange Swedes does it take to screw in a lightbulb?)
1001. En som holder lyspæra og 1000 som snur huset. (1001. One to hold the bulb and 1000 to turn the house around.)
Nobody thinks these are racist, because frankly, the Swedes tell the same jokes about us.
quote:Originally posted by :: ... and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that in Sweden ... it's the Norwegians, or vice-versa ...
Here's were it's at: In Sweden we, quite correctly, tell jokes about stupid Norwegians ("Q: How do you sink a Norwegian submarine? A:You dive down to it and knock on the hatch"). The Norwegians, however, aren't clever enough to really understand them or to make up stories of their own, so they just reverse the jokes and send them back.
(Sorry SubMinus, I just couldn't refrain)
-------------------- Små hönor skall inte lägga stora ägg för då blir de slarviga i ändan
posted
I see what you are asking, Becky. Not quite why does one group make fun of another group, but why were the Polish singled out for what used to be known as the "moron" jokes. Remember those? Back in the 50's - "Why did the moron... blah, blah, blah." I was told at one time that it is because it's generally the latest group to emigrate en masse to America that is made fun of here. They are the ones as yet lacking the language and the skill of being an American. The latest mass emigration of the Polish took place in the 40's with WWII. Maybe Polish is where we stopped making fun of an ethnic group. It became too politically incorrect and right after the 50's, remember, we got into the 60's and civil rights. Polack jokes hung on for a while but they slowly ceased to be funny to the younger generation, the baby boomers. To tell you the truth, I don't see how they were ever funny to any generation. These days even a step back to the "moron" jokes would be considered politically correct. You would never hear a politician running for office tell one. The groups who support the mentally challenged groups would be right on that and run him out of town and off the airwaves. The damage that these jokes can do to a group is long lasting. My husband is half Polish and his father had the "...ski" removed from the family name during WWII. He did it so he wouldn't be in Europe with a Polish name. On the one hand I'm glad he did or our kids might be singled out for the "dumb" jokes. On the other hand, I wish we could tack it back on and change the stigma. Unfortunately no amount of Copernicus praises will remove the stigma in the generations that had to put up with the Pollack jokes. Bev
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You mean there's a whole group of jokes about an alcoholic painter?
Sorry - couldn't resist. Right after the movie "Pollack" starring Ed Harris came out on tape, I was in the video store with my boyfriend who said, I swear to god, "Pole-lock...what's that about?" I explained to him that it was pronounced "Paul-luck" but the damage was done, I'm afraid...I could tell by the snickers of the people standing near us.
Ali "and in France, they tell Belgian jokes as well" Baba
posted
(Really needed the lightbulb smilie for this one...)
quote:Originally posted by SubMinus: ...Here is a typical norwegian joke: Hvor mange svensker trengs det for å skru inn en lyspære? (How mange Swedes does it take to screw in a lightbulb?)
1001. En som holder lyspæra og 1000 som snur huset. (1001. One to hold the bulb and 1000 to turn the house around.)
YOMANK! You ought to have posted that one in the lightbulb riddles thread...
posted
Thanks Fiddler Woman! Now that I hear the explanation, I guess it makes sense. Actually, Polock jokes are STILL around. One of my junk mail junkie friends emailed me one the other day (it was stupid) which is what prompted the question.
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supergeak
The Red and the Green Stamps
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I thought it started near WWII too, but for a different reason. I thought it had something to do with the Germans invading Poland first, but I dunno. And as for them still being around, anyone remember the boss in "Raising Arizona" who was always telling them, and then at the end you see him get pulled over by a police officer and it shows a close up of his name tage with a polish sounding name?
"That's what we call a 'homer'" "Why's that Earl?" "Cuz ya only get it...on the way home." "I'm already home Earl"
quote:Originally posted by Fiddler Woman: On the one hand I'm glad he did or our kids might be singled out for the "dumb" jokes.
Ugh. I have a "ski" last name, and it pisses me off that everyone seems to feel that because of this fact, it's open season for every polack joke they can think of. Nevermind the fact that I am also very much Italian, OR that I am third-generation, my grandma spoke only broken polish - my grandparents were as American as you could get.
I cannot wait to marry and rid myself of this burden!
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I'm Polish on my mother's side, and she always told me that the "dumb Polock" stereotype was because Poland has been invaded, overrun, and generally kicked around throughout so much of history, so it was seen as the "inept loser" of Europe.
Polish jokes have never bothered me much. In fact, I kind of enjoy having a reputation that is so far off the mark. My Polish grandmother with a seventh-grade eduation consistently beats all her college educated grandkids at Scrabble, and when she can't sleep she plays anagrams in her head instead of counting sheep.
Whenever I hear someone perpetuate the dumb Polock myth, I take comfort in the fact that my little old grandma could kick their ass in any intellectual contest, and the fool would never even see her coming.
quote:Originally posted by moonlight: Ugh. I have a "ski" last name, and it pisses me off that everyone seems to feel that because of this fact, it's open season for every polack joke they can think of. Nevermind the fact that I am also very much Italian, OR that I am third-generation, my grandma spoke only broken polish - my grandparents were as American as you could get.
I cannot wait to marry and rid myself of this burden!
Marry Me! I'm mostly Italian but one grandmother was Polish (I have an easy German surname)
Posts: 1749 | From: -> Canberra <-/ Hong Kong / London | Registered: Jun 2001
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J-Kitty
The Red and the Green Stamps
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I think, as said earlier, that its mostly a regional thing. Here in North Carolina, we pick on the South Carolinians and the Virginians...
A feud broke out between North Carolina and South Carolina. The South Carolinians began to lob dynamite over the state border at the North Carolinians. What did the NC'ers do?
A: They picked the dynamite up, lit it, and threw it back.
Of course, Virginia is often changed out for SC. Although I've never heard Tennessee in one of the jokes.
posted
Here in Georgia, We tell Alabama jokes. But everyone knows that we do it because people from Alabama really ARE dumb! (Just kidding you guys).
Example: Q: What is the best thing to come out of Alabama? A: I-20
And my new favorite:
Two Alabama State troopers are chasing a car with Georgia plates east-bound on I-20. As the Georgia car crosses over the state line, the driver of the Ala. State patrol car slams on his brakes. His partner looks at him and says "why did you stop?" The driver replys "we'll never catch him now, He's an hour ahead of us!"
(Time zone changes at the border between Ala. and Ga.)
::sigh:: they're never as funy when you have to explain them
Atlanta "we get the same treatment from them" Jake
-------------------- Remember Kids, Don't try this at home!
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You ought to have posted that one in the 
