Burlington Public Library MA

The Jewish joke, a short history - with punchlines, Devorah Baum

eng

Includes bibliographical references and index

index present

non fiction

The Jewish joke

bibliography

1005694182

Devorah Baum

a short history - with punchlines

"Comedy is full of famously funny Jews, from Groucho Marx to Sarah Silverman, from Larry David to Jerry Seinfeld. This smart and funny book includes tales from many of these much-loved comics, and will appeal to their broad audience, while revealing the history, context and wider culture of Jewish joking. The Jewish joke is as old as Abraham, and like the Jews themselves it has wandered over the world, learned countless new languages, worked with a range of different materials, been performed in front of some pretty hostile crowds, and yet still retained its own distinctive identity. So what is it that animates the Jewish joke? Why are Jews so often thought of as 'funny'? And how old can a joke get? Interweaving jokes from Lena Dunham to Joan Rivers, as well as Freud and Marx (Groucho, mostly), Baum balances serious research with light-hearted humor and provides fascinating insight into this well-known and much loved cultural phenomenon"--Inside jacket flap

Introduction. How do you tell the difference between a shlemiel and a shlimazel? -- Less essay, more examples. How do you tell the difference between one Jew and another Jew? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jew and a Gentile? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jewish person and a comedian? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jew and a parrot? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jew and an anti-Semite? ; How do you tell the difference between joking and not joking? ; How do you tell the difference between a blessing and a curse? ; How do you tell the difference between a good deal and a bad deal? ; How do you tell the difference between a tailor and a psychiatrist? ; How do you tell the difference between morality and neurosis? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jewish woman and a shiksa? ; How do you tell the difference between a Jewish mother and a Jewish mother-in-law? ; How do you tell the difference between a male Jewish comedian and a female Jewish comedian? ; How do you tell the difference between a king and a beggar? ; How do you tell the difference between Jews and Israelis? ; How do you tell the difference between life and death? ; How do you tell the difference between the Trinity and the Almighty? ; How do you tell the difference between man and God? ; How do you tell the difference between a good joke and a bad joke? ; How do you tell the difference between comedy and theology? ; How do you tell the difference between Jewish and Goyish? ; How do you tell the difference between sporting and joking? -- And finally... How do you tell the difference?