Apyuxjj.121
net.jokes
utzoo!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxa!mhuxh!mhuxm!mhuxv!mhuxj!pyuxjj!rlr
Wed Apr  7 08:46:02 1982
Re: How many Americans?
	The consensus seems to be that this is supposed to be a Polish joke---
NOT a joke *about* Poles, but one told *by* Poles.  The humor (?) appears to
stem from the concept that it is very funny to Poles (it takes >x number of
Poles to accomplish the task, according to the myriad of jokes) that the number
of Americans required to screw in a light bulb is one!! (Someone please cue the
audience to commence laughing.)
	I had entertained the possibility that the joke was actually a REAL
joke told by Poles (or whatever other nationalities we have demeaned), rather
than a fictitious joke *supposedly* told by them.  My thought was that the
meaning of this joke lay (lie?) in the fact that we Americans have kept tabs
on the required number of each nationality to do the dirty deed (I'm talking
about the screwing in of light bulbs); but since Americans, according to the
joke-tellers, are mentally superior to the Poles, etc. about whom these jokes
are told, only one American is required.  In other words, I thought that
those of other nationalities might really tell this joke to mock the arrogance
of Americans and their "Polish" jokes.  (Mind you, I didn't think that this
was much funnier than the other explanations, but I was intrigued by the idea
of others digging into us for telling these jokes.  No one else had a similar
notion.)
	Other people gave responses to my query that harked back to the first
message I sent out with the wrong punchline (A: None.).  Some were astonished
that no Americans were needed, while others assumed that since Americans had
all the modern conveniences, the light bulb could change itself (or never need
changing).  Actually, I wrote that punchline by mistake while thinking of
another joke (which might belong in jokes.q, but here goes):

	Q: How many Jewish mothers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
	A: None.
		("So? Don't worry. I'll sit in the dark.")

Thanx to everyone for all of your responses.  I'll leave you with one more l.b.
joke, sent to me as yet another possible interpretation of the American joke.
(I don't think so, but I'll let you decide):

	Q: How many mice does it take to screw in a light bulb?
	A: Two.

	Hint: They're small enough to fit inside.

				--pyuxjj!rlr     Rich Rosen

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