For what it’s worth I heard Sept 11th jokes here in the UK a few days afterwards. To generally mixed reactions (partialy 'cos they were bad jokes).
With things like these the jokes only tend to relavent for a short time, after that other ‘topical’ humour takes over. I think the effect of the attacks meant most people decided not to do the jokes and now the window has passed, people have moved on to making jokes about large scale fraud. Well, actually I haven’t heard any but I’m sure they’re out there.
I recall seeing people actually get flamed on alt.tasteless for posting WTC jokes a few days after September 11. You might try a search of the archives.
I heard this one outside the US… No idea where it originated. I’ve heard other jokes, this is just the most memorable. I’ve also seen scores of joke photo edits relating the September 11th.
This joke has to be told like a riddle:
Q: There’s a man sitting in an office. All the windows are closed, the doors are locked. There is nothing in there except a desk, a chair, two apples and an accordian. There is nothing else living in there. The man is not ill in any way, has not been poisoned, nor does he wish to kill himself. Suddenly, he dies. Why?
I know it started a war and people died, but don’t you think this stoic patriotism has gone a bit far? As Americans, we mock everything else, why is it we can’t fight this with humor the way we lighten every other situation? I’m not bitching, I’m just curious as to why we can make fun of other current situations where people are dying, but 9/11 jokes are forbidden by most.
The mood is seriously against it. Bill Maher effectively lost “Politically Correct” for saying that he didn’t think the hijackers were cowards, suicide bombing being a difficult thing to do. And that’s not even a joke – it’s an observation (and one that I agree with). Joan Rivers is taking flack for doing 9/11 humor. Nobody wants to use jokes that are proved career-killers. That doesn’t answer why no private, anonymous jokes are circling. I assume it’s the temper of the times – this one literally hits too close to home.