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ALOHA FRIDAY
Buy all 6 of Michael's books for only 18.00 including P&H.
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)
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| Renowned author Michael Herr is back guest-blogging on this awesome Aloha Friday about Ethnic humor and it's alleged acceptance in Hawai'i...Make sure and check out Michael's website at; http://www.michaelherr.com/ |
ALOHA FRIDAY
January 27, 2012
It's Aloha Friday.
JOKING AROUND IN HAWAII
Aloha folks,
You know, one of the things I like most about Hawai'i is the way everyone can be a target, and, mostly, no one gets mad about it. By that I mean, everyone race is a target for jokes. Always has been. Since the days of growing sugarcane and pineapple.
When everyone, again mostly, lived in groups with their own kind. People grew up making jokes about the other ethnic groups, and stereotypes became the norm. Filipinos, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Hawaiians, Samoans and Haoles — they all had tags attached to them. But if someone made a joke about your race that was okay, because you could come back with a joke about their race.
When everyone, again mostly, lived in groups with their own kind. People grew up making jokes about the other ethnic groups, and stereotypes became the norm. Filipinos, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Hawaiians, Samoans and Haoles — they all had tags attached to them. But if someone made a joke about your race that was okay, because you could come back with a joke about their race.
The master, I think, who deals with this is Frank DeLima. I love Frank's humor. I watch his videos, I listen to his comedy albums/Cd's, and I have almost worn out his joke book that I bought many years ago. I unabashedly steal jokes from Frank and use them when I'm emceeing a program. I have even borrowed from Frank to use in the books I write. ( For those of you outside of Hawai'i not familiar with the comedy Frank Delima, feel free to check out his website at;) http://www.frankdelima.com/)
Frank points out, quite correctly, that the reason humor about and between the races goes so well in Hawai'i is that there is no one majority race in Hawai'i. Instead we have the original chop suey, a mixture of all the races working hard to get along with one another. And laughing at, and with, each other all the time. Sometimes someone will slip and say something that is not funny, that is hurtful. Usually they retract their comment immediately with a "Nah Nah Nah Nah, Brah" (translates to "Just kidding').
Outside Hawai'i the thinking is much narrower. Telling ethnic jokes is usually considered rude — but often you hear the excuse, "It's okay if I tell an Irish joke, I'm Irish (or Polish, or German, or Mexican)." In Hawai'i ethnic jokes and references are more easily allowed, as long as they are not hurtful, as long as everyone knows that you're just kidding. And as long as you know (according to Frank) why you're telling that joke, who you're telling it to, where and when you're telling it to , and most of all what joke you're telling. Frank says all this much better in his book.
Let me leave you with a couple of haole jokes (it's okay, I'm haole). Again, these are borrowed from Frank DeLima.
How do you tell the haoles in a Chinese restaurant?
They're the ones not sharing the food.
Why did God invent golf?
So haoles could dress up like Filipinos.
Okay folks, see you next week.
Buy all 6 of Michael's books for only 18.00 including P&H.
http://www.michaelherr.com
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors and forum participants on this blog site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Publisher of Dakinetalk the blog, but they could? ;D)
Frank Delima is a comedy legend in Hawaii, check him out at; http://www.frankdelima.com/
