While laughter is good for the soul, it can also be hurtful to others. There is a big difference between ‘humor’ and ‘mockery’. Humor is meant to entertain and be playful and lighthearted, while mockery is typically harsh and often offensive.
I remember when I was in high school, Polish people were victimized with so-called ‘jokes’. I’m sure many of you are familiar with some of those. For example, one was: “How many Polish people does it take to change a lightbulb?” – The answer was 4; one to hold the lightbulb and 3 to turn the ladder. This was supposedly intended to produce a laugh, but it was also hurtful and implied stupidity.
West Virginians have suffered from numerous similar insults as well, remarks intended to make everyone think that if you lived in West Virginia, you didn’t wear shoes, couldn’t read or write, and had no indoor plumbing!
I recently ran across a list of one old “comedian’s” repertoire, which included the following abusive insults about the people of West Virginia:
Their Halloween pumpkins have more teeth than they do.
They marry their cousins.
They wear overalls to funerals.
They don’t mind driving in winter because their potholes are filled with ice.
Their idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway.
They use an ironing board as a buffet table.
Their matching set of luggage consists of two or more brown paper bags.
Their dinnerware includes salad bowls that all say Cool Whip on the front.
They know which leaves make the best toilet paper.
These backwoods rednecks all live up a holler.
Their culture consists of a twangy singer accompanied by a banjo.
This is just a partial list, but I think that’s quite ENOUGH! If this ‘comedian’ (?) managed to reap enough money from his performances, he should have taken a trip to our Mountain State and witnessed the glory of its breathtaking beauty. During his visit, he could have met some of the wonderfully kind people who live here – and who would have welcomed him regardless of his failed attempts to insult us. Yes, West Virginia IS “Almost Heaven” and God blessed us with not just an abundance of natural wonders, but also the grace to overlook offensive slurs.
Quote of the Week: “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge our future.” ~ Paul Boese
