# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/41 "2020-09-26T08:35:42Z")
I also feel people accidentally going to nude beaches was a sitcom/comedy movie plot I saw far too often back in the 80’s, I also assume nude beaches were far more common back then? ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/42 "2020-09-26T08:40:37Z")
> [@robby](#): > > In the case of the riddle, the situation is even more fraught, because it’s a trauma case. The surgeon might make a mistake because it’s their child that being operated on. It would seem only prudent in such a case to get another surgeon scrubbed in ASAP to take over. There is the other trope that a surgeon thinks that they are the best and wouldn’t let anybody else operate because they are the best chance that the person will live. And there’s the other side. My classmate died of a heart attack. Her father was a cardiac surgeon. If he could have done something, he would have. > [@robby](#): > > And if you are in a French restaurant in France, the server’s tip is already included in the prices, so there tends to be less kowtowing to the patrons than in the U.S., plus that fact that you’re likely a tourist that they will never see again—leading to them not particularly caring what you order. We were in Paris with friends who had a 2-year-old daughter. The waiters all catered to her. One even quacked at her. They all had pride in their work and were happy to answer questions about the food, despite our poor French skills. To be clear, it’s not the server’s tip. The waiters are paid a living wage and are professionals, not just working until they can find something better. Kowtowing waiters is usually considered annoying, by anyone outside of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/43 "2020-09-26T08:59:39Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > > [@DPRK](#): > > > > I’ve never been “intimidated into ordering” anything in a restaurant, in France or elsewhere. Not convinced that is a joke or a trope- … > > I gave two examples of it. OK, but “ordering something that you have no idea what it is” — which happens in real life, and of course there is no guarantee you will not be surprised by the results — and being “intimidated” into ordering something is not quite the same thing. After all, nobody forced you to walk into the place. Tempted or cajoled, sure: > MAÎTRE D: And finally, monsieur, a wafer-thin mint. > > MR. CREOSOTE: Nah. > > MAÎTRE D: Oh, sir, it’s only a tiny, little, thin one. > > MR. CREOSOTE: No. Fuck off. I’m full. > > MAÎTRE D: Oh, sir. Hmm? > > MR. CREOSOTE: _[groan]_ > > MAÎTRE D: It’s only wafer thin. > > MR. CREOSOTE: Look. I couldn’t eat another thing. I’m absolutely stuffed. Bugger off. > > MAÎTRE D: Oh, sir, just-- just one. > > MR. CREOSOTE: _[groaning]_ All right. Just one. > > MAÎTRE D: Just the one, monsieur. Voilà. > > MR. CREOSOTE: _[groaning]_ > > MAÎTRE D: Bon appétit. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/44 "2020-09-26T12:10:59Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I also feel people accidentally going to nude beaches was a sitcom/comedy movie plot I saw far too often back in the 80’s, I also assume nude beaches were far more common back then? They’re probably slightly more common now. In any case, the idea of them was so far out of mainstream American thinking, that they were a ripe subject for comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/45 "2020-09-26T12:25:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > > [@Acsenray](#): > > > > > [@DPRK](#): > > > > > > I’ve never been “intimidated into ordering” anything in a restaurant, in France or elsewhere. Not convinced that is a joke or a trope- … > > > > I gave two examples of it. > > OK, but “ordering something that you have no idea what it is” — which happens in real life, and of course there is no guarantee you will not be surprised by the results — and being “intimidated” into ordering something is not quite the same thing. After all, nobody forced you to walk into the place. I invite you to read again what I actually wrote. Beyond that, there’s no point in continuing this exchange with you. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/46 "2020-09-26T12:43:56Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > Apparently pizza with anchovies was a major thing in the 80s? I found reference to even chains like Domino’s stocking anchovies as a topping back then but even today at the higher end mom and pop pizza places I never see anchovies as an available topping for a custom pie. Huh? Anchovies on pizza is still very much a thing. I ordered a pizza with anchovies a couple weeks ago (well, anchovies on half because my wife hates them). ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/47 "2020-09-26T12:44:41Z")
What’s the name of the Mexican phone company? Taco Bell. Back when most people had a local phone company with the name ‘Bell’ in it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/48 "2020-09-26T13:17:05Z")
There aren’t very many store clerks anymore that are going to reply in the affirmative about the availability of Prince Albert in a can. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/49 "2020-09-26T13:43:06Z")
> [@Didi44](#): > > Not really a joke, but a line from _Catch-22_ > > “That’s some catch, that Catch-22! It’s the best there is!” What is this a reference to? Other than Catch-22. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/50 "2020-09-26T14:02:54Z")
“Catch-22” didn’t mean anything. prior to the book of the same title. In fact, the original manuscript called it “catch-18”. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/51 "2020-09-26T14:06:07Z")
What do you call an abortion in Czechoslovakia? A cancelled Czech. ~Unknown Comic, Gong Show, circa 1977. Czechoslovokia no longer exists…could update to “Czech Republic,” I guess. But people don’t write nearly as many checks as they once did. In the "what joke will they not understand in the future?’ vein, it’s not a setup/punchline joke but… Mrs. L was in the grocery and a young (11?) boy was on the phone, talking to a friend. He grew agitated and said, “Don’t come for me, Karen!” If anybody found conclusive evidence as to why “Karen” became this whole phenom, great. But maybe we won’t be able to explain in the future. There’s also that notion that if you took a Radio Shack ad from 1978, everything they had on sale in a given week is on your smart phone. Alarm clock, calculator, voice recorder… things become more automated the stand alone item will be less known. Someone posted on Facebook about a kid visiting grandma and trying to figure out how we texted from a rotary dial phone. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/52 "2020-09-26T14:23:38Z")
Thanks, @Didi44. > [@NDP](#): > > Anchovies on pizza used to be surprisingly common. This [Shakey’s Pizza menu](http://www.batesline.com/archives/2014/02/01/Shakeys_1967_Menu.jpg) (which I remember from the 70s) testifies to that. Were smoked oyster, Louisiana shrimp, and sardines also surprisingly common? I don’t think I’ve ever seen an actual pizza with anchovies on it. I can’t remember the last time I saw anchovies on a menu, though I’m pretty sure I have at some time. Given how regional pizza can be, I wonder if anchovies are more of a thing in some parts of the country than in others. Or if they’re something you’re more likely to find at an “authentic” Italian place. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/53 "2020-09-26T15:07:08Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > > [@Asuka](#): > > > > I also feel people accidentally going to nude beaches was a sitcom/comedy movie plot I saw far too often back in the 80’s, I also assume nude beaches were far more common back then? > > They’re probably slightly more common now. In any case, the idea of them was so far out of mainstream American thinking, that they were a ripe subject for comedy. I agree. It has nothing to do with how common they are or were, but rather that the idea is no longer as shocking as it was. I recently watched an episode of the _Burns and Allen_ show in which the absurd premise was that Gracie wanted to open a bank account in her own name. (Well, it probably wouldn’t have been a good idea in that case, but not because she was a woman.) ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/54 "2020-09-26T15:12:02Z")
Faster than an Ethiopian chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/55 "2020-09-26T15:26:40Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > What’s the name of the Mexican phone company? Taco Bell. > > Back when most people had a local phone company with the name ‘Bell’ in it. What do you get if you cross a rooster with a Bell telephone pole? A 30-foot cock that wants to reach out and touch someone. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/56 "2020-09-26T15:31:27Z")
The Sneed’s Feed and Seed joke usually needs to be explained to someone. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/57 "2020-09-26T16:02:36Z")
I saw a movie long ago with a joke I remember, but I remember absolutely nothing else about it. The Voice of God (IIRC) says something along the lines of 'Who [performed this miracle]? Who [performed this miracle]? And **who’ll stop the rain?** ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/58 "2020-09-26T16:15:51Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > The Sneed’s Feed and Seed joke usually needs to be explained to someone. But it needed explaining at the time it was made. It isn’t an example of something that became more obscure with time. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/59 "2020-09-26T16:25:01Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Anchovies on pizza used to be surprisingly common. This [Shakey’s Pizza menu](http://www.batesline.com/archives/2014/02/01/Shakeys_1967_Menu.jpg) (which I remember from the 70s) testifies to that. Shakey’s is still very regional. From my perspective, the hatred of anchovies was far more common than the availability of anchovies on pizza. Most of the kids I knew who said they hated anchovies turned out never to have actually had anchovies on a pizza. ---
**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:** [September 26, 2020, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466/60 "2020-09-26T16:27:01Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > I’ve never been “intimidated into ordering” anything in a restaurant, in France or elsewhere. Not convinced that is a joke or a trope- how would that even work? You seem to be quibbling over the exact phrasing of the trope. The trope that [French cuisine is haughty](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FrenchCuisineIsHaughty) has existed for more than a century and is very, very common. > [@](#): > > Most French restaurants are going to be upper-class preserve with an exclusive guest list, a dress code, a maître d’, and a [supremely snooty waiter](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaughtyHelp) that practically tries to force the customers to order what the waiter thinks is proper rather than what the character wants. If characters of lesser standing can even get into such a place to begin with, they will likely end up embarrassing themselves with their inability to afford most of the things on the menu, their inability to understand and pronounce the French on the menu, and by a committing culinary faux pas such as ordering ketchup or having the wrong choice of wine with their meat. In movies and TV, characters are intimidated into ordering because they don’t want to look unsophisticated in front of their date or boss or wealthier friends. Whether or not actual French waiters are like this is irrelevant to the joke, because that’s the established stereotype. It’s like disputing that the stereotype exists because you know a German butcher who doesn’t have a handlebar moustache, or an Italian pizza-parlor owner who doesn’t talk with his hands. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jokes-that-nowadays-need-explaining/921466.md?page=4)