[Dixielandjazz] An intro I use - controversial intros

[Charlie Hooks]

on 7/2/03 12:51 AM, Nancy Giffin at nancyink at ulink.net wrote:

If you alienate half the room with a joke that's out of place,
youre left with a FRACTION of a chance to make people laugh.

            "So you're a feminist? Isn't that cute!"


   That's a sign that would go on my office door if I were still teaching (I
stole the idea from another professor).   Yes, of course I take your point,
but mine is that I am sick and tired of pandering to the easily offended
crowd.   

   I recall having used as an intro for "Sweethearts on Parade" the line
that this was the new Army Marching Song (just after Clinton's gays in the
military debacle cut in), and two young women at a front table told me at
intermission that they had been offended.   I engaged them earnestly and
asked in my most concerned voice, "Well, yes, but were you Mortally
Offended?"  They just looked blank, and I walked away, saying, "All right,
then."

   I think they stayed away after that: I certainly hope so!  I think a
table card should be mandatory, stating "YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT NOT TO BE
OFFENDED, NOT IN LIFE AND NOT IN THIS ROOM."  The truth is, I have many
friends who are lawyers and love lawyer jokes, even disparaging ones; who
are Jewish and enjoy Jewish joke, NOT disparaging ones; who are gay--etc.
The only silly group of people who seem to have NO sense of humor at all are
the radical feminists.  That is what my joke said--and I don't think those
people constitute "half the room" or even a small fraction of the room.

   My wife, Lornetta, is a sane feminist; Gloria Steinem is not.

cheers,
Charlie