IS THIS A JOKE ??

[Placido]

This is true but requires a bit of background first ........
It concerns James Whistler, the American artist (who spent a great deal of time over here incidentally ), and Lowell, Massachusetts was, in the 19C just a scruffy mill town. Now read on ........

An admirer once met Whistler and got chatting; he asked the famous artist why he had been born in Lowell, Mass., and Whistler replied, "I wanted to be near my mother."

[Jacksparrow]

This is true but requires a bit of background first ........
It concerns James Whistler, the American artist (who spent a great deal of time over here incidentally ), and Lowell, Massachusetts was, in the 19C just a scruffy mill town. Now read on ........

An admirer once met Whistler and got chatting; he asked the famous artist why he had been born in Lowell, Mass., and Whistler replied, "I wanted to be near my mother."

Ask a stupid question........................

[Placido]

What is the link between Hereward the Wake, William the Conqueror and Winnie the Pooh ??
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They all share the same miggle name.
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[Willpar]

The are wasted on the forum.

[Jacksparrow]

The are wasted on the forum.

Are you saying we're too thick to understand them?

[Placido]

[Jacksparrow]

Queen Elizabeth And Dolly Parton die on the same day and they both go before an Angel to find out if they'll be admitted to Heaven.
Unfortunately, there's only one space left that day,so the Angel must decide which of them gets in.
The Angel asks Dolly if there's some particular reason why she should go to Heaven. Dolly takes off her top and says, "Look at these. They're the most perfect breasts God ever created, and I'm sure it will please God to be able to see them every day, for eternity.
The Angel thanks Dolly and asks Her Majesty the same question.The Queen takes a bottle of Perrier out of her purse, drinks it down then pees into a toilet and pulls the lever.
The Angel says, "Okay, your Majesty, you may go in." Dolly is outraged and asks, "What was that all about? I show you two of God's own perfect creations and you turn me down. She pees into a toilet and she gets in!
Would you explain that to me?"
"Sorry, Dolly," says the Angel, "but even in Heaven, A Royal Flush Beats a Pair - No Matter How Big They Are. "

[Placido]

What's blue and yellow and sounds like a parrot ?
A parrot, stupid.

[Jacksparrow]

What's blue and yellow and sounds like a parrot ?
A parrot, stupid.

Good grief come back peregrine all is forgiven(well nearly all)

[Placido]

Now I'm very glad someone bit at that 'joke' 'cos it's actually very interesting .......

I heard it on Radio 4 in a prog about 'Laughter' and among all the rubbish chat was this 'joke' as an example. Apparently it is absolutely guaranteed to get a laugh from a theatre audience. 'Why ??!!', I hear you ask.
3 reasons:

(1) The mention of a parrot always gets an instant giggle from an audience. No-one knows why but it does.
(2) The answer is a bit of a surprise 'cos no-one was thinking that 'A parrot' would be the answer. Surprise always elicits a self-deprecating laugh.
(3) An audience laughs when it is insulted by the stand-up comedian: "stupid" is just such an example.

However, I have discovered that the jokey mechanism does not work at all when the 'joke' is written down (see above). Funny thing, laughter and why we do it .