I know that I am not supposed to tell or write any ethnic type jokes but sometimes I do try to get away with it. If anyone is offended in any way, I would like to know immediately so I can take this post down.
This story goes back probably thirty years or so when jokes like this and much worse were quite common. The term ‘politically correct’ was not yet on everyone’s lips. The term PC had existed since the 1920’s but when I was young, it had not yet gripped our society in so many ways. I learned not to say Ghetto Blaster. I guess I should move on or I might say something else to offend. It’s a shame in some ways that we’ve had to rewrite the prose of many authors that had no idea that what they were saying and writing was so wrong and offensive to so many or they simply did not care.
Here are some examples from James Finn Garner’s book of Politically Correct Bedtime Stories.
The wolf said, “You know, my dear, it isn’t safe for a little girl to walk through these woods alone.” Red Riding Hood said, “I find your sexist remark offensive in the extreme, but I will ignore it because of your traditional status as an outcast from society, the stress of which has caused you to develop your own, entirely valid, worldview. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be on my way.”
Leap into a fairy-tale world where trolls are “dirt-accomplished and odor-enhanced,” witches are “kindness-impaired,” and Cinderella wears a gown “woven of silk stolen from unsuspecting silkworms.” We can only regret that Garner had to exclude “The Duckling That Was Judged on Its Personal Merits and Not on Its Physical Appearance” for space reasons.
I am certainly guilty of meandering here as I build the courage to share my story about a young Japanese man making plans to go to Tokyo to visit with his family.
He had come to the USA as a student, was now employed and had saved enough money to go home on a vacation. In the months and weeks before he was to fly home, each time he built up a savings amount of $100.00 he would visit his local bank and buy Yen so he would have enough Japanese cash when he was home. On his first few trips, he would lay his $100.00 on the counter and the teller gave him about 110 Yen, give or take a few Yen.
On one trip, a couple of weeks before he was to fly home, he received only 98 Yen for his $100.00 and he complained loudly to the teller. In a very loud voice, he queried “Why so few Yen? Last week you gave me 112 Yen and this time only 98?”
The teller politely replied, “I’m sorry sir but it’s the fluctuations.”
He replied in a much louder voice, “Well FLUC YOU TOO!”
