A conditional joke is a
joke
A joke is a display of humour in which words are used within a specific and well-defined narrative structure to make people laugh and is usually not meant to be interpreted literally. It usually takes the form of a story, often with dialogue, ...
meant for a qualified audience only. If a joke requires from the audience a certain knowledge or a belief, then Ted Cohen calls such jokes ''hermetic''. Possessing prior knowledge and understanding of the topic, which in turn enables them to understand the joke. Such ability is also called the prerequisite condition for laughter. The conditional joke is one of two main categories of jokes, according to Ted Cohen; the main one being a universal joke, which does not require familiarity with the hermetic language of a conditional joke.
Conditional jokes often depend on the internalized negative stereotypes held by the audience toward a targeted group of people. Such affective disposition can also explain the persistence of
ethnic jokes in multicultural societies. Although they can be understood by many, the conditional jokes usually don't make ridiculed individuals
laugh
Laughter is a Pleasure, pleasant physical reaction and emotion consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the Thoracic diaphragm, diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system. It is a response to certain external or ...
at the
punch line.
The most common type of conditional jokes, which target the jargon and all topics specific to professions and occupations, include the doctor jokes (surgeons, internists, psychiatrists, etc.), the lawyers and politicians, musicians, and the rabbi jokes among many. Other ''hermetic'' jokes which target ethnicity include
Polish jokes made in the US,
Irish jokes
An ethnic joke is a remark aiming at humor relating to an ethnic, racial or cultural group, often referring to an ethnic stereotype of the group in question for its punchline.
Perceptions of ethnic jokes are ambivalent. Christie Davies gives ex ...
made in England, Ukrainian jokes made in Russia,
Newfie
''Newfie'' (also ''Newf'' or sometimes ''Newfy'') is a colloquial term used by Canadians for someone who is from Newfoundland. Some Newfoundlanders, consider "Newfie" as a slur used by American and Canadian military forces stationed on the isl ...
jokes made in Canada,
Sardarji joke
Sardarji jokes or Sardar jokes are a class of ethnic jokes based on stereotypes of Sikhs (who use the title of "Sardar", with -ji being an honorific). Although jokes about other ethnic and linguistic communities are found in various regions of Ind ...
s made in India,
Russian jokes
Russian jokes (russian: link=no, анекдоты, anekdoty, anecdotes) are short fictional stories or dialogs with a punch line, which commonly appear in Russian humor. Russian joke culture includes a series of categories with fixed settings and ...
about ethnicities, Texas jokes, Jewish jokes made by non-Jews, the Black people jokes, and numerous others.
See also
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In-joke
An in-joke, also known as an inside joke or a private joke, is a joke whose humour is understandable only to members of an ingroup; that is, people who are ''in'' a particular social group, occupation, or other community of shared interest. It i ...
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Ethnic stereotype
*
An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman
"An Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman" is the opening line of a category of joke cycle popular in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The nationalities involved may vary, though they are usually restricted to those within Ireland and the UK, and ...
*
Stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...
References
{{comedy-stub
Jokes
Humour