# Jokes that don't work anymore (on a contemporary, younger crowd) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes\ **Created:** [April 15, 2026, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293 "2026-04-15T17:38:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/181 "2026-04-17T19:33:11Z")
I don’t know which is more embarrassing: that I too still remember it to the letter; or that into my young adulthood, I thought it was a real organization. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/182 "2026-04-17T20:24:36Z")
A related example, Stacey completely unaware of what The Kinks song “Lola” is about: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaW8cZL43HM&pp=ygURTG9sYSByZXZpZXcga2lua3PSBwkJ0woBhyohjO8%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaW8cZL43HM&pp=ygURTG9sYSByZXZpZXcga2lua3PSBwkJ0woBhyohjO8%3D) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/183 "2026-04-17T21:51:03Z")
I’m embarrassed to admit that I had been listening to Lola for more than 10 years before I realized what it was about. I don’t think you need to be young to fail to get it, you just need to miss a few words in the last line. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2026, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/184 "2026-04-17T22:21:15Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I question the assertion that the idea of a woman getting a tattoo would be so far fetched as to constitute a joke in 1975 It was. Only biker chicks and the like got tattoos even by 1975. > [@Smapti](#): > > When I was in sixth grade in 1993, I had a teacher who insisted on referring to improper fractions (e.g. 5/2 or 7/3 or other fractions which equal \>1) as “Dolly Parton fractions” because they’re top-heavy. > > I had absolutely no idea what that meant, so the joke was already out of date by then. I wouldn’t say it was out of date, but not well known in the your age group and region. Unless you all listened to country music in 6th grade. Dolly’s never really been out of date. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/185 "2026-04-18T02:42:45Z")
> [@phs3](#): > > Long distance being a big deal To say nothing about needing to go through an operator-placed long distance call. In the US Direct Distance Dial (DDD) first started in 1951 and was pretty well finished by the mid-1960s. I _did_ place one in 1985 to make a reservation to the Stovepipe Wells Hotel in Death Valley. I went to the library and looked up the number in the appropriate yellow pages and along with the number was the instruction, _Dial 00 and ask for operator 54_. I did just that and was connected in about five minutes, fas shorter than the half-hour or so back in the totally manual days. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/186 "2026-04-18T02:54:58Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > Don’t think I’ve ever seen a double-glazed window in a private residence. They’re pretty standard here in Phoenix-metro – when they’re not triple-glazed. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/187 "2026-04-18T02:55:12Z")
Following four lines of poetry with “Burma Shave!” ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/188 "2026-04-18T03:59:09Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > They probably tell similar jokes in Poland, but about – I don’t know – Czechs or something. I visited Poland a couple of years ago. The people I talked to liked to tell jokes about Germans. Speaking of jokes that don’t work any more, one I remember was: Why are Israelis so rude? Because they learned their manners from the Germans. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan\_myers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@aruvqan\_myers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan_myers)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/189 "2026-04-18T09:44:43Z")
I remember having a shared phone line [we were 3 rings] at our summer cottage, and I can remember the phone dial had the number written on the paper thingy as 7-3110 [with 3 rings written under the numbers] garbage burn barrels, and a hand pump well for potable water [because the tan water was pumped out of the lake and used only for flushing, showers and dishwashing] For long distance calls we had to go through the operator til like 73 or 74. THe town also had fire alarm pulls in the street kiosks [I guess you could call them that? Basically a red box strapped to a phone pole] that ‘rang’ coded bells to indicate where in town the alarm was. I _think_ the street access fire alarms were from before phones were in pretty much every house? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/190 "2026-04-18T17:27:30Z")
Dunno if this is real or a joke, but it fits beautifully in this thread. > _One of the new tech guys comes into the office. He looks twenty at most._ > > **Tech Guy:** “Hi, I’m here to see [Coworker].” > > **Coworker:** “That’s me. Why?” > > **Tech Guy:** “You put in a ticket about your work phone autocorrecting words it shouldn’t be?” > > **Coworker:** “I did?” > > **Tech Guy:** “Uh, yeah. I got the ticket right here.” > > _[Tech Guy] shows the ticket, and [Coworker] laughs._ > > **Coworker:** “I forgot about that! I sent that for your boss as a joke last week. How long have you been in the tech department?” > > **Tech Guy:** “This is my first week.” > > **Coworker:** “Sorry, dude, he’s hazing you. He’s my friend, and this is what he does. I’m sorry.” > > _The poor tech guy leaves the office, looking confused._ > > **Me:** “Hey, [Coworker], what was the ticket?” > > _He shows me:_ > > **Ticket:** “Work phone keeps autocorrecting “surely” to “Shirley” when left in Airplane mode.” > > **Me:** “Yeah, that kid was waaaaay too young to ever get that reference.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/191 "2026-04-18T18:18:41Z")
I just learned that the last 8-track released by a major record company was a 2020 promotional edition of Dolly Parton’s _A Holly Dolly Christmas_. Two outdated references for the price of one. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/192 "2026-04-18T19:07:03Z")
Dolly Parton is probably one of the least outdated references in the comedy song “Dolly Parton’s T\*ts”. Ed Allen? Rex Humbard and Maude Aimee? Pierre and Rene? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/193 "2026-04-18T19:09:27Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#): > > People seriously answer the door for people that haven’t dm’d in advance? Yeah, since it could be emergency services warning us about an issue. > [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Following four lines of poetry with “Burma Shave!” I actually saw one in the wild. Disney California Adventure , in Cars land, has a kinda one. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/194 "2026-04-18T19:19:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Yeah, since it could be emergency services warning us about an issue. Has that happened? Once in your life, ever? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/195 "2026-04-18T19:50:11Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > It refers to the stereotype of Jewish people liking Chinese food. A Jewish girl I dated claimed it was because most restaurants are closed on Christmas (and other Christian holidays) but most Chinese restaurants are open Whenever this comes up, my mother claims that the stereotype of Jewish people liking Chinese food originated because _it’s really good._ ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/196 "2026-04-18T20:00:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Whenever this comes up, my mother claims that the stereotype of Jewish people liking Chinese food originated because _it’s really good_ When I was growing up in our white-bread suburb, the only restaurant food that wasn’t the same bland food we ate at home _was_ Chinese food. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/197 "2026-04-18T21:23:07Z")
Sure, Chinese food is good. But being open on Christmas when the rest of the world closed was a hundred times more influential. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/198 "2026-04-18T22:18:39Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > the stereotype of Jewish people liking Chinese food originated because _it’s really good._ Cf. the old joke: “Why do Black people like watermelon?” “The same reason everyone else does!” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/199 "2026-04-18T22:26:21Z")
Yeah, that’s something that always puzzled me as a kid, the ‘Blacks like fried chicken and watermelon’ stereotype. Not that it’s really a stereotype, since it’s pretty accurate. Most (US) Blacks have their origins in the South, and those are Southern staples, regardless of skin tone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2026, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293/200 "2026-04-19T02:59:43Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > Has that happened? Once in your life, ever? Yes, it has. We are in SoCal with the fires. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-dont-work-anymore-on-a-contemporary-younger-crowd/1029293.md?page=11)