What's the joke?

Austin Barry

Stephen, like you I am completely mystified, but men dressing as women has a long tradition in the UK, from panto, through kriegies in Colditz, through Les Dawson to Monty Python to Little Britain. My theory is that Englishmen are distressed by the melancholic fact that English women over, say, fifty begin to resemble men or are at least completely asexual, so this is the reductio ad absurdum of an uncomfortable fact i.e. it's awful, but perhaps we can accommodate it by laughing at it. The alternative theory is that we're all latent homosexuals, but if this is correct then by definition we wouldn't like men dressed-up as women. Unhappily, the tradition is likely to die out when we are all part of the Caliphate and pretending to be a woman by donning a burka will be somewhat pointless.

Ya Know...

Can you say hooking point?

Lee Jakeman

You're not missing anything. The country is run by stupid people who, every now and then, reveal themselves to be - er - stupid people.

Jono Corfe

Stephen, you aren't alone. In my profession dealing with the general public, you aren't even allowed to notice those with a difference lest you're being ignorant and politically incorrect. Not that this matters a great deal when there is a plethora of characters out there. Transvestites, incontinent little people in wheelchairs, Zambian lesbians (which is just a wonderful thing to say, hear how it flows from the lips), six foot seven inch transgender persons, the list goes on. This is merely a short list of people I have thrown out of my bar which also includes the blind, the deaf, and the mentally handicapped. I'd like to say that I am not discriminating but in actuality I am in order to keep the peace. If a seven foot man in high heels, tights and a boob-tube wandered in, I'd be more impressed with my crossword.

Joshua

This kind of role switching is common in many cultures. In Jewish tradition, at Purim, Jews frequently dress up in the costumes of their enemies and those who by tradition hate them. For many centuries, in England, masters not only dressed as servants but also performed the duties associated with them, and servants for their part dressed and acted as masters on one day every year (I think the first day of Christmas). The Navajo also often dress up as women when dancing at various winter ceremonials. If I remember correctly, men at one time dressed as women when performing mourning plays in Lebanon. I've long ago forgotten the reasons why (or at least the reasons put forward by sociologists and anthropologists). It's probably something to do with matters such as release of social tension and reminders of mutual responsibilities. As to the humour, I don't have a clue. I once spent three months investigating why people laugh, and I really was no wiser about the matter at the end of my studies.

Ron Combo

Looks like an ugly woman dressed up as a bloke to me.

Joshua

"Looks like an ugly woman dressed up as a bloke to me." -- You are confusing him with Clare Short.

john moran

is this not an example of the'english disease'?

Al

well its perfectly understandable to not like drag.

But your line "Don't get me wrong - I'm not upset, or angry, or bothered by it. I just don't understand why so many of us find it funny

should read: I'm not upset, or angry, or bothered by it. I just want to use it to mock the labour party.