Since today got Very Philosophical on CoSo, let's end with something sillier.
In my house growing up, to make light of oneself after saying something intelligent, we'd point to our heads and say "kidneys".
What's an expression that only makes sense to your family / local in-group?
@MLClark throw rocks. It came from “boys are dumb throw rocks.”
😅 And now it just floats in the ether, context-less!
@MLClark it was pretty self evident at the time, mid 90s.
I'm familiar with the original context, but my preference was the follow-up context: brains are dumb, throw rocks at them. :) Now I guess "throw rocks" is universal!
@MLClark @LaurelGreen The first way I heard the point-to-head and go "kidneys" thing, it was part of a very offensive joke about nazis and Polish people!
I just did a deep dive through a 1973 text called "The Types of the Polack Joke" and couldn't find that one, but I DID come away with a greater disgust for our species, so it wasn't a total waste of time! 🙃
I have an old one lying around somewhere called "Jewish Jokes for the John". It is written by jewish comedians though, so it's no more terrible than it usually is when jewish people get up to when making fun of each other.
The jokes are mostly silly and dumb rather than mean, though some are shockingly sexist by today's enlightened standards (Jewish princess jokes, blonde jokes). Pretty sure the authors would be excoriated for it today.
@MLClark @LaurelGreen Note that just because someone is a "whatever the joke is about" when they tell it, it doesn't necessarily mean it's okay and not racist.
There's always been some comedians whose stock in trade has been deprecating their own people to members of a more dominant society around them.
That makes me feel more than a bit disgusted when I see it.
@MLClark @LaurelGreen
Huh raayyyyyy....!
I suspect that this "joke" was the sort where people replace the Polish people or nazis with their personal favorites.