Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!oliveb!bunker!wtm
From: jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Humor and the Deaf
Message-ID: <18466@bunker.isc-br.com>
Date: 2 Apr 91 13:21:23 GMT
References: <18402@bunker.isc-br.com>
Sender: wtm@bunker.isc-br.com
Reply-To: jhall@ihlpm.att.com (John R Hall)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 22
Approved: wtm@hcap.fidonet.org
Fidonet: Silent Talk Conference

Index Number: 14594

James Womack's telling of the "Please, but" ASL Deaf joke reminded
me of something I've been curious about.  Does anyone know of
classes offered in "Deaf humor"?  I think it would be a great idea
as a way to achieve better understanding of ASL as well as have
fun.  I know that a local junior college in my area near work has
offered a class in "American humor" with the idea (I think) being
that recent immigrants to America who are learning spoken English
would learn more about English- speaking American culture by
learning some of its humor.  I think the same would apply for
Hearing people like me who are learning ASL.  I've only seen one
Deaf comedian/storyteller - C.J. Jones - when he came to my
neighborhood in Chicago.  The performance was interpreted, and
there wasn't any humor of the "Please, but" joke variety that
Hearing non-signers don't understand.

Here's the converse problem.  Translate this joke into ASL and see
if anyone laughs:  "What's black and white and red all over? (ans:
newspaper)".

--John