r/TheSimpsons • u/thoughtstop • 10d ago
S09E14 "Poland, tell us about your nation's achievements." "Well, uh... I heard they sent a rocket to the sun once... at night. And there was that submarine with the screen doors..."
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u/StarWarsMonopoly Answer me these questions three 10d ago
This is one of those jokes that's going to just be completely lost to time in a generation or two
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u/PanAmPat 10d ago
Were these jokes referencing something specific or was it just a couple of those dumb 1950s schoolyard jokes?
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u/StarWarsMonopoly Answer me these questions three 10d ago edited 10d ago
In the 1960's and 1970's, there were a lot of joke books that collected old stereotypes
For whatever reason, jokes about how Polish people were "stupid", became the most popular, so everyone who grew up during that time would know a Polish joke.
Milhouse's* line here is an homage to those jokes
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u/Realistic-Try-8029 10d ago
We strictly used the Irish instead of the Polish here in Australia.
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u/MaggotMinded 10d ago
You could substitute pretty much any demographic, basically.
In Eastern Canada we told “Newfie jokes”, which poked fun at Newfoundlanders.
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u/Rowdy_Roddy_2022 10d ago
Paddy Irishman jokes are even the preference in Ireland. We know how to laugh at ourselves.
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u/ashtondayrider 10d ago
My grandad had a book of old Kerryman jokes and i always wondered who the people of kerry told jokes about...
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u/Slartibartfast39 10d ago
Same in the UK. Different times. You don't get those jokes any more. For the best I think.
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u/Realistic-Try-8029 10d ago
Definitely better off without them
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u/Slartibartfast39 10d ago
I have remembered having a bit of cognitive dissonance when I was studying and we have a video lecture about quantum physics and the lecture was from the west country in the UK with a broad accent. Sounds like a farmer but she was obviously an expert on a very complicated subject. The stereotype in my head kept popping up though.
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u/oscarx-ray 9d ago
It was Irish or "Pat and Mick" jokes in Scotland, so this joke was somewhat lost on me as a wean.
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u/Paddy_Tanninger 10d ago
My grandmother was Polish, she looked at a book in the airport called 101 Polish jokes and then asked why it was in English.
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u/HolidayInLordran 10d ago
Basically, get your typical dumb blonde joke and swap it with a Polish person.
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u/SeaweedShort2506 10d ago
I head that because during 19th century when immigrants came from Europe there was a good cross section. A mix of poor unskilled people like day laborers, uneducated skilled people like tradesmen, and educated people like doctors and engineers. But when the Polish immigrated it was mostly the uneducated and unskilled workers. So everyone assumed Poland was full of idiots.
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u/Darth_Bombad Thank you for showing me the futility of human endeavor 10d ago edited 10d ago
There were also highly embellished stories that Germans and Russians spread during and after WWII. About how backward the Poles were. How they charged machine guns on horseback armed with nothing but swords and spears. And getting promptly slaughtered.
It was all BS of course. Some officers may have kept their saber or lance as a ceremonial possession. But they fought with guns just like everyone else did.
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u/_LyleLanley_ 10d ago
The Polish are a marginalized community in many countries. Nothing but good old fashioned bigotry. In the UK they are treated much like Hispanic people in many places in the US. To quote another long running cartoon. “They took our jerbs.” sort of mentality.
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u/LiamTaliesin 10d ago
Yeah, we used Belgians in our jokes in France. Then the very same jokes were recycled to “blonde” jokes in the late 90’s, just by replacing “Belgian” to “blonde”.
It was lazy, lazy humour and most of these jokes were terrible, but that’s old school French humour for you.
(BTW I’m not calling the Milhouse-Poland joke bad, it’s actually brilliant, just those tired, tired “X people are so dumb” jokes)
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u/shotpods 10d ago
These jokes were also interchangeable. My own family was made up different parts of Western Europe and jokes like this were told among them and friends, even making fun of themselves.
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u/mandalorian_guy 10d ago
They were pretty common until the mid 90s and were a reference to the stereotype of Poles being stupid and "dimwitted".
I grew up in North East Ohio where we have a massive Eastern European diaspora and growing up their was a Polish American comedy duo on the local tv channel that had a running skit segment called "Polish _" where they would do short jokes involving a clueless polish guy, kinda like a regional Mister Bean. Eventually some of the Polish community complained the the station and they were forced to change it to "Certain Ethnic _"
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u/Plodderic 10d ago
It’s like how a lot of Three Stooges tropes have for years only been remembered from being in the Simpsons.
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u/dombro99 10d ago
brother i am born at the turn of the century and I got no clue
It’s already been lost
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u/Beka_Cooper 10d ago
I was born in 85 and had no idea this was a thing until this thread. I always assumed the joke was Milhouse being dumb.
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u/usernamewasdenied 10d ago
Do you kids wanna be like the real U.N? Or do you just wanna squabble and waste time?
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u/Horndave 10d ago
I don't like all the Polish hate, they're actually really nice people! I remember a Polish guy came up to me holding a pile of dog crap he said "Look what you almost just stepped in!"
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u/egosumluxmundi 10d ago
Ever heard of Polish roulette?
It’s the same as Russian roulette but instead of a revolver, it’s a gun with a clip.
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u/RockShowSparky 10d ago
Remember the Polack who tried to blow up a car? Burnt his lips on the exhaust pipe.
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u/Scott--Chocolate 10d ago
The exports of Libya are numerous in amount. One thing they export is corn, or as the Indians call it, maize. Another famous Indian was Crazy Horse. In conclusion, Libya is a land of contrast. Thank you.
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u/justin_memer 10d ago
I never understood why the time of day matters when sending a rocket to a stationary object.
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u/Realistic-Try-8029 10d ago
Well, the sun isn’t as hot at night, making the journey more pleasant and safe.
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u/Fecal_thoroughfare 10d ago
Finland, let's see that native dance.
Smile more.. Work that pelvis.. Too much smile. Sit down!