I grew up in a very racist, sexist, prejudiced time and place. There were various terms used for the different races, ethnic and religious groups. Some of that was evidenced by the jokes that young children told each other on the playground. While some were just funny puns or pure silliness, there were others based on disparaging stereotypes. Those types of jokes are like the “Blonde Jokes”, which were common in the 1980s. They were known as “Moron Jokes” or “Polish Jokes” when I was little.
There were also songs and chants that had racist terms in them. One example was “Eeny Meeny”. Nowadays, children generally use some variation of the following:
Eeny meeny miny mo.
Catch a tiger by the toe.
If it hollers, let him go.
Eeny meeny miny mo.
In grade school, I’d always heard it (with the offensive word censored):
Eeny meeny miny mo.
Catch a N***r by the toe.
If he hollers, make him pay,
50 dollars every day.
My mother told me to pick the very best one,
And you are not IT!
Evidently there are enough people familiar with the older version that in 2003 a Southwestern flight attendant who used a variation of the rhyme was sued by a couple passengers. They felt she was being racist, and it caused them embarrassment and emotional distress.
Less controversial and more inclusive are “Elephant Jokes”. They have been told all over the world by generations of children. As a child, my favorite was:
“Why do elephants paint their toenails red?
So they can hide in cherry trees.”
“Have you ever seen an elephant in a cherry tree?
It works, doesn’t it?”
We had an orchard of cherry trees in the small farm where I grew up. I could envision finding an elephant on one of the branches and how funny that would be!
There’s one joke that makes a play on words and on the old ethnic jokes of my youth.
“Why do elephants wear red toenail polish?”
“Sorry. No Polish jokes allowed.”
There are tons of elephant jokes, and many are told as a part of a series. The following series has several variations:
QUESTION: How do you shoot a blue elephant?
ANSWER: With a blue elephant gun, of course.
QUESTION: How do you shoot a white elephant?
ANSWER: Strangle it until it turns blue and then shoot it with the blue elephant gun.
QUESTION: How do you shoot a yellow elephant?
ANSWER: Oh, come on! Have you ever seen a yellow elephant?
I found some delightful jokes from India where they enjoy the image of elephants and ants interacting:
“Why was the ant lying on the floor with his hands and his legs up in the air?
He wanted to trip the elephant.”
“Why was the elephant lying on the floor with his hands and his legs up in the air?
He had tripped over the ant.”
Just one final set of elephant jokes before we move on:
“How do you fit four elephants into a Mini Cooper?
Two in the front and two in the back.”
“What time is it when an elephant sits on your car?
Time to get a new car!”
“Why do elephants walk around on four feet?
Because If they flew, you could never keep your car clean.”
There was a silly song we sang as children. There are several versions. One of the less disgusting versions is:
Little birdie in the sky,
Dropped some white stuff in my eye.
I won’t holler; I won’t cry.
I’m just glad elephants don’t fly.
The concept of an elephant flying caught the fancy of two famous storytellers — Walt Disney and Dr. Seuss. One of Walt Disney’s earliest animated movies was Dumbo. The hero was a young elephant who used his huge ears to fly. Unfortunately, some are upset by the film because the crows who teach Dumbo to fly are obviously “Negro” caricatures.
As they are laughing among themselves, each crow, in turn makes a comment:
“Did you ever see an elephant fly?”
“Well, I seen a horsefly.”
“Ha! I seen a dragonfly!”
“I seen a housefly!”
After that they go into a delightful song, full of puns and other silliness, “When I Seen an Elephant Fly.” It’s been a long time since I’ve viewed the film, but I do remember loving the music. One of the great things about most Disney productions is the quality of the music. The song performed by the crows is no exception.
The crows’ racial identity is further implied when they perform their song in a jazz style complete with scat stylizations and one playing the jazz “trumpet” through his beak.
As the joking group of crows teach Dumbo to fly, it presents an interesting picture with the members of a traditionally downtrodden race helping another oppressed individual. In this case, they get to teach him the great freedom of flight.
Another creative genius, who imagined an elephant flying, is one of our family’s favorite authors. The books of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as, “Dr. Seuss” have been treasured at our house. His loveable Horton, the elephant, was the hero of two books. In the delightful fantasy, “Horton Hatches the Egg”, the elephant is tricked into caring for the egg of a lazy mother bird. In one sense, Horton might not be viewed as a good example for youngsters. He believed a lying individual and was too easily duped.
In the story, Horton is determined to keep his word. No matter what befalls him, Horton persists in his efforts to hatch the egg. He repeats several times throughout the book:
“I meant what I said And I said what I meant…
An elephant’s faithful One hundred per cent!”
Horton was probably mistaken to take on a task which should have been someone else’s responsibility, but he remains true to his word. When all the hard work of sitting on the egg is coming to an end and the egg starts to crack, the negligent mother came to claim the baby. Her efforts are crushed the moment Horton is rewarded for his dedication by the long-awaited opening of the egg. The hatchling is not a bird, but an elephant with wings who instantly bonds with Horton.
Horton’s sacrifice has made him the true parent. However, the obsessive behavior exhibited by the elephant might also illustrate a not-so-great trait. Some carry their faith to extremes. In the book by Seuss, all turns out well, because Horton’s dedication is to a noble cause.
Unfortunately, too many have blindly followed a corrupt leader whose cause is unjust. Extremists continue to support someone who is betraying them. They are just too stubborn to admit that fact, perhaps even to themselves.
When reflecting back about jokes concerning a flying elephant, I see a similarity with the inequities of today’s world. While rich, powerful individuals are having a grand ole time with their flights of fantasy, the less fortunate people have been wading around in the cruddy fallout.
The past few years, too many basic human rights have been stolen from minorities. Greedy hucksters like those who profited from the misery of Dumbo and Horton seem hell-bent to continually rob from the poor and disabled to get more for the rich.
Prejudice has been allowed to win too many battles. It is my fervent hope, that someday, those oppressed by ultrarich hypocrites will be able to accomplish the flight to true liberty (and the pursuit of happiness).