# Jokes that, nowadays, need explaining **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comedian-jokes\ **Created:** [September 25, 2020, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466 "2020-09-25T02:53:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 20
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/382 "2020-10-21T01:41:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I didn’t realize it was supposed to be a high-performance car. In the lyrics it is a “super stock Dodge”. I’m assuming a hemi? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/383 "2020-10-21T01:41:34Z")
**Nitpick:** It was Jan and Dean, not the Beach Boys. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/384 "2020-10-21T01:47:00Z")
In the song the car is described as a “super stock Dodge”. Some Googling tells me that “super stock” is a class in drag racing for regular road cars which have been modified for drag racing. Although the last time I looked at the Wikipedia entry for the song the words “super stock Dodge” linked to the page for the Dodge Polara which claimed a Super Stock Doge specifically meant a Polara with the most powerful engine offered, which was considered desirable by drag racers. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/385 "2020-10-21T01:53:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It was an ordinary car. It was from an even older joke that used car salesmen would say, “It was owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays.” Cite? FWIW [Wiki has the same story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Old_Lady_(from_Pasadena)) that **WildaBeast** gave, although admittedly they cite “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader,” not exactly a primary source. Still, I’d like to see a cite from elsewhere than California that preceded this. > [@](#): > > “The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)” was a [folk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music) [archetype](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype) in Southern California in the mid-20th century. Part of this lore was that many an elderly man who died in Pasadena would leave his widow with a powerful car that she rarely, if ever, drove, such as an old [Buick Roadmaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Roadmaster), or a vintage 1950s [Cadillac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac), [Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford), [Packard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard), [Studebaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker), [DeSoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_(automobile)), or [La Salle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Salle_(automobile)). According to the story, [used car salesmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Used-car_salesman) would tell prospective buyers that the previous owner of a vehicle was “a little old lady from Pasadena who only drove it to church on Sundays,” thus suggesting the car had little wear.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Old_Lady_(from_Pasadena)#cite_note-8) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/386 "2020-10-21T02:10:20Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > Super Stock Doge Many lady. Very power. Wow! ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/387 "2020-10-21T02:12:48Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > **Nitpick:** It was Jan and Dean, not the Beach Boys. And then they ripped themselves off for another hit with the same theme “[The Anaheim, Azusa And Cucamonga Sewing Circle, Book Review And Timing Association](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TAnOCAd_2I&list=RD5TAnOCAd_2I&start_radio=1)”. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/388 "2020-10-21T02:32:43Z")
I’m a bit too young to remember hearing it on the radio. A google of the lyrics: [https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C1CHBF\_enUS798US798&ei=jZWPX-fPEsaotQWGprPYAQ&q=lyrics+little+old+lady+from+pasadena&oq=lyrics+little+old+lady&gs\_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgUIABDJAzICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgQIABBHOggIABDJAxCRAjoFCAAQkQI6AgguOgQIABAKUMSBIVijlCFg4qMhaABwAngAgAFviAH9CJIBBDE0LjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6yAEIwAEB&sclient=psy-ab](https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS798US798&ei=jZWPX-fPEsaotQWGprPYAQ&q=lyrics+little+old+lady+from+pasadena&oq=lyrics+little+old+lady&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgUIABDJAzICCAAyBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHjIGCAAQFhAeOgQIABBHOggIABDJAxCRAjoFCAAQkQI6AgguOgQIABAKUMSBIVijlCFg4qMhaABwAngAgAFviAH9CJIBBDE0LjGYAQCgAQGqAQdnd3Mtd2l6yAEIwAEB&sclient=psy-ab) That says the lyrics call it a “Super Stock Dodge,” which sounds like all the variations that arose in those days. The Judge, the GTO, the Z28, the Trans Am, the Superbird, Boss Mustang, etc. offered performance beyond stock. Per the lyrics, the lore of the story is that the granny raced it. Maybe the used car dealer telling you it was driven by a little old lady from Pasadena is tongue-in-cheek. That is, don’t think grannies can’t race them as well. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/389 "2020-10-21T02:39:30Z")
Tsk! A major gap in your education. ☹ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7f9hsFrKUY/hqdefault.jpg "Jan & Dean - Little Old Lady From Pasadena") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7f9hsFrKUY) Another reason why the '60s rocked! 🙌 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/390 "2020-10-21T15:05:46Z")
Having lived in SoCal most of my life, I can attest to **RC** ’s remembrance of things. The trope was whatever car was being sold was only driven to church on Sundays. Could be a Roadrunner, could be an old Pontiac. It wasn’t specific to muscle cars. That’s what made the song lyrics so funny - the little old lady wasn’t driving the family Truckster. Instead she had a car that could dust your ass off the line and wasn’t afraid to prove it. And…remember the lyrics specifically state that the car was brand new, not something her husband left her. If hubby’s car wasn’t good enough, Granny traded it in on something with some power. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/391 "2020-10-21T15:19:51Z")
TLOLFP came out in 1964. The 1964 Super Stock Dodge was a factory-prepped racer that you could buy on Monday and race on Sunday. They were competative right off the showroom floor. [1964 Super Stock Dodge](https://www.allpar.com/racing/ramchargers/ramchargers-12-hemi-1964.html) I’m sure Granny’s was [a sold color “sleeper”](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/31/62/27/31622785da613882d12736742271e308.jpg). Don’t want to advertise - you’ll never get any races. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/392 "2020-10-21T15:44:38Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > It was an ordinary car. It was from an even older joke that used car salesmen would say, “It was owned by a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays.” > > Cite? FWIW [Wiki has the same story](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Old_Lady_(from_Pasadena)) that **WildaBeast** gave, although admittedly they cite “Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader,” not exactly a primary source. Still, I’d like to see a cite from elsewhere than California that preceded this. > > > [@](#): > > > > “The Little Old Lady (from Pasadena)” was a [folk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music) [archetype](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archetype) in Southern California in the mid-20th century. Part of this lore was that many an elderly man who died in Pasadena would leave his widow with a powerful car that she rarely, if ever, drove, such as an old [Buick Roadmaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Roadmaster), or a vintage 1950s [Cadillac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac), [Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford), [Packard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packard), [Studebaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker), [DeSoto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_(automobile)), or [La Salle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Salle_(automobile)). According to the story, [used car salesmen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Used-car_salesman) would tell prospective buyers that the previous owner of a vehicle was “a little old lady from Pasadena who only drove it to church on Sundays,” thus suggesting the car had little wear.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Old_Lady_(from_Pasadena)#cite_note-8) I just know I was well aware of the joke when I first heard the song and never heard Pasadena mentioned until the song. The joke was ubiquitous (I believe I saw it in MAD, though it could have been in any sitcom showing a used car salesman) and trying to track it down is like trying to track down the origin of “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Here, however is a cite from 1970 that used the exact phrasing I did – no Pasadena, and “to church on Sunday.” It describes the line as a “hoary old joke” – a sign that it had been around longer than six years. > **[False Misconceptions About Used Car Dealerships - AutoInfluence](https://www.autoinfluence.com/false-misconceptions-used-car-dealerships/)** > > Boy, how things have changed! Luckily, for used car dealers the auto sales industry has changed their image over time as well. Here’s another page that indicates Jan and Dean were indeed riffing on the line I quoted: > **[Whatever Happened To: The Little Old Lady From Pasadena? A PHS...](http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2014/01/whatever-happened-to-little-old-lady.html)** > >                                                                    By: Patrick... > The idea was taken from the hoary image of used car salesmen trying out the tired line that was only driven by a " little old lady to church on Sundays." I suspect the Wikipedia entry is mere extrapolation, since it really makes no logical sense that it would become a stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/393 "2020-10-22T01:05:08Z")
My post [in another thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-iconic-characters-are-linked-to-a-specific-portrayal-by-a-specific-actor-in-your-mind/923530/25) made me realize there is a probably a generation of people who have no idea why some old farts keep insisting on calling Mark Wahlberg “Marky Mark”. Though as he’s not done all that much recently they are probably being succeeded by a generation who have no idea who Mark Wahlberg or Marky Mark are. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/394 "2020-10-22T02:43:32Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > Of course, nowadays, we don’t use the term “Darktown” so much… When/where I was growing up, there was a different word in front of “town”. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/395 "2020-10-22T04:52:37Z")
In my dad was a kid, it was called Zulutown… ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/396 "2020-10-22T08:03:10Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > [@jaycat](#): > > > > Of course, nowadays, we don’t use the term “Darktown” so much… > > When/where I was growing up, there was a different word in front of “town”. Interesting that while many towns and cities have a “Chinatown”, and it is often considered to be an attraction, I don’t see other ethnic groups represented this way. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/397 "2020-10-22T08:35:11Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Interesting that while many towns and cities have a “Chinatown”, and it is often considered to be an attraction, I don’t see other ethnic groups represented this way. Toronto does put “Chinatown,” and “Greektown,” and “Little India,” and “Little Italy,” and others, on its street signs. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/398 "2020-10-22T11:56:00Z")
The MASH thread reminded me of another joke that’s probably over the head of younger folks. In the “Five O’Clock Charlie” episode, Hawkeye, Trapper and Radar are mocking Frank’s attempts to defend against Charlie by marching around in loose formation. At one point, Trapper asks the other two to count off. Radar asks Hawkeye: “Are you one?” and Hawkeye says “Yes, are you?” which makes Radar very uncomfortable. Would younger folks recognize this as a reference to homosexuality? ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/399 "2020-10-22T12:43:34Z")
I’m hardly younger folks, and I don’t get the reference (unless there was some sort of visual clue also?). ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/400 "2020-10-22T12:48:14Z")
I didn’t think that joke was about anything in particular, just to play with someone’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2020, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/401 "2020-10-22T13:31:31Z")
I take “Are you one?” “Yes, are you?” business to suggest a covert recognition signal. I could be wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466.md?page=21)