1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,480 Speaker 1: Okay, got a question for you. What makes you laugh? 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 2: Well, believe it or not, it's probably what people have 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,680 Speaker 2: been laughing at for thousands of years. We think that 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 2: over the millennia we've gotten more sophisticated, smarter, and kinder 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:17,120 Speaker 2: in our humor. But guess what wrong turns out? Sixth 6 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,759 Speaker 2: grade humor is timeless. I'm Patty Steele. Get ready to 7 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:23,360 Speaker 2: roll your eyes when I tell you the first joke 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: ever recorded from more than forty five hundred years ago. 9 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 2: That's next on the backstory. We're back with the backstory. Well, 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 2: the earliest jokes were dirty jokes. People couldn't resist them, 11 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 2: say researchers, sex, flatulence, making fun of somebody has tickled 12 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 2: us since human beings have been recording jokes. Folks in 13 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 2: ancient Egypt were just like us. They loved political satire, 14 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 2: jokes about bodily functions and ones that ridiculed other people, 15 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,639 Speaker 2: and they loved jokes about nudity and sex. Here's an 16 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 2: actual example of any Egyptian joke from as much as 17 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: four thousand years ago. How do you entertain a bored pharaoh? 18 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 2: You sail a boatload of young women dressed only in 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: fishing nets. Down the nile and urge the pharaoh to 20 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 2: go catch a fish. Not exactly a laugh riot, but 21 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 2: it is cutting edge humor, especially because the comedian had 22 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:22,319 Speaker 2: the guts to make fun of royalty, which could be 23 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,759 Speaker 2: dangerous in those days. But laughter actually originated before humans. 24 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 2: Our ape like non human ancestors had the capacity to laugh, 25 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 2: and they still do. 26 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: You can tickle most mammals. We all know. 27 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 2: Laughter is a fabulous release in a stressful life, I guess, 28 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 2: human or non human. Some of the earliest jokes came 29 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 2: from an ancient Sumerian tablet from Mesopotamia, which is modern 30 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,840 Speaker 2: day Iraq. This particular joke is the oldest recorded from 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 2: almost five thousand years ago, and it is definitely the 32 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: first recorded joke about flatulence. So let the eye rolling begin. 33 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 2: Here you go something which has never occurred since time immemorial. 34 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: A young woman did not fart in her husband's lap. 35 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,000 Speaker 1: What the heck? I guess you had to be there. 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 2: Equally unfunny, but also from over four thousand years ago, 37 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 2: is the first joke about somebody walking into a bar. 38 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,679 Speaker 2: It goes like this, A dog walks into a bar 39 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,119 Speaker 2: and says, I cannot see a thing I'll open this one. 40 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 2: Huh again, context is everything, I guess now more than 41 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: a thousand years ago, in the early Dark Ages, folks 42 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,559 Speaker 2: still loved to joke, but they rarely made fun of themselves. 43 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 2: Those early jokesters had no interest in sharing their own 44 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: misery and shortcomings. But then we hit a little later 45 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 2: in medieval times. What make folks laugh was the same 46 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: sex politics, flagelms, of course, and ridicule. But they started 47 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 2: to be able to take a joke at their own 48 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 2: expense or their mother's. Yep, jokes about your mom got popular, 49 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: like this one from a well known joke book in 50 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: the fourteen hundreds. 51 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 1: They had joke books. In the fourteen hundreds. 52 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 2: A young Florentine boy was going down to the river 53 00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,720 Speaker 2: with one of those wool washing nets, whatever they are, 54 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 2: and met a frolicsome boy who asked him what birds 55 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 2: he was going to catch with that net of his. 56 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: I am going to the brothel. The first boy said, 57 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 2: to spread my net there and catch your mother. Replied 58 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 2: the second boy, Mind you search the place carefully, for 59 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 2: you'll be sure to find yours there also. 60 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: Wow. 61 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: And then there was a move toward joking about folks 62 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: in the church like this one. A friar was preaching 63 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 2: to the people at Tivoli and thundering against adultery. It 64 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: is such a horrible sin that I had rather undue 65 00:03:47,440 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 2: ten virgins than one married woman. Many in the congregation 66 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: indicated they'd share his preference. And another an old bishop 67 00:03:56,560 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: who had lost some of his teeth, and complained of 68 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 2: others being so loose. He was afraid they'd soon fall out. 69 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 2: Never fear, said a friend. They won't fall Why not, 70 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,920 Speaker 2: said the bishop. His friend replied, because my testicles have 71 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 2: been hanging loose for the last forty years, as if 72 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,720 Speaker 2: they were going to fall off, and yet there they 73 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: still are. And what would have tickled you if you 74 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 2: lived in the eighteen hundreds in Victorian times. While things 75 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 2: were pretty conservative in those years. Here's an example of 76 00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 2: what gave you the giggles in those days. See here, waiter, 77 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 2: I've found a button in my salad, says the waiter. 78 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 2: That's all right, sir, it's part of the dressing. But 79 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 2: they did get a little riskue. A servant says, ma'am, 80 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:40,239 Speaker 2: your husband has eloped with the cook. Replies the wife. Good, 81 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: Now I can have the maid to myself. Once in 82 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: a while now. Speaking of the few naughty jokes heard 83 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 2: in the eighteen hundreds, Abe Lincoln amazingly was a great 84 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 2: joke teller, and he didn't mind getting a little blue. 85 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 2: Here's a pretty good one, and a bit surprising coming 86 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 2: from a nineteenth century president. It's a story about a 87 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 2: guy who loves to collect historic relics. He hears about 88 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: an old lady with a dress she'd worn during the 89 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 2: Revolutionary War. The collector visits her and begs to see 90 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: the dress. Speaking to the dress, he holds it up 91 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 2: and says, were you the dress this lady wore when 92 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 2: young and blooming? No doubt when she got you from 93 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 2: the dressmaker, she kissed you as. 94 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: I do now. 95 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 2: The old lady looks at the guy and says, if 96 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,119 Speaker 2: you want to kiss something old, you had better kiss 97 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 2: my ass. 98 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:30,360 Speaker 1: It's sixteen years older than that dress. Wow. Go Abe. 99 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: Understanding what makes people laugh played a huge role in 100 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,559 Speaker 2: one of the biggest stories of the nineteenth century, also 101 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 2: involving Lincoln. When John Wilkes Booth was planning his assassination 102 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: of Abe, he needed to know when the biggest left 103 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 2: would come during the play at Ford's Theater that evening 104 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 2: called our American cousin. Booth knew the play inside out, 105 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:53,719 Speaker 2: and he knew how audiences reacted to every bit of 106 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 2: its comedy. Now it's kind of dead in the water 107 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 2: for us. But this is the line they found sue ooh, hilarious, 108 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: said by a young American guy to a stuffy British lady. 109 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,440 Speaker 2: I know you enough to turn you inside out, old gal, 110 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:14,239 Speaker 2: You sockdologizing, old man, trap explosive laughter in the theater. 111 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,600 Speaker 2: Why you know what? We'll probably never really know, except 112 00:06:18,600 --> 00:06:21,039 Speaker 2: that it is about making fun of somebody. But that 113 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 2: line and the laughter that followed obscured the gunshot that 114 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:28,159 Speaker 2: killed Lincoln just long enough for Booth to escape in 115 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 2: the confusion, and he had banked on it. When we 116 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: get to the twentieth century, we had burlesque the movies 117 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: and later on TV and serious stand up and what 118 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 2: made people laugh You got it, sex politics, ridicule, and 119 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,320 Speaker 2: they have her popular fart jokes. But as in the past, 120 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 2: there was also an element of sexism and racism in 121 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:54,799 Speaker 2: the humor. Then as the century progressed, the humor got edgier, 122 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 2: and comedians like Lenny Bruce were even arrested for obscenity, 123 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 2: simply pushing the one right off the side of the table. Now, 124 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,920 Speaker 2: in the last decade or so, we still laugh at 125 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 2: the same old stuff, but we've become much less edgy, 126 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 2: kind of forcing us to stay in sixth grade. Right. 127 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,200 Speaker 2: Stand up comics like Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais, and Jerry 128 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 2: Seinfeld complained that comedy is dead. Nobody can laugh at 129 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 2: others or even themselves anymore. On the other hand, maybe 130 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,520 Speaker 2: we're just finding a new kinder path forward, still to come, 131 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 2: but for now. Unlike in the Middle Ages, when joking 132 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 2: about the king could get your head taken off, joking 133 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 2: about the wrong thing today can get you canceled, and 134 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 2: for most comedians that is worse than death. Hope you 135 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 2: like the Backstory with Patty Steele. I'd love it if 136 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 2: you would subscribe or follow for free to get new 137 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 2: episodes delivered automatically, and feel free to if you have 138 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 2: a story you'd like me to cover on Facebook, It's 139 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:09,080 Speaker 2: Patty Steele. On Instagram reel Patty Steele. I'm Patty Steele. 140 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:13,640 Speaker 2: The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, Premiere Networks, the Elvis 141 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 2: Duran Group and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer is Doug Fraser, 142 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 2: our writer Jake Kushner. We have new episodes every Tuesday 143 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 2: and Friday. Feel free to reach out to me with 144 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,360 Speaker 2: comments and even story suggestions on Instagram at real Patty 145 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 2: Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. Thanks for listening 146 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 2: to the Backstory with Patty Steele, the pieces of history 147 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,040 Speaker 2: you didn't know you needed to know.