Witold,
It appears to me that there are differences of reception as well by the Polish in America themselves to the Polish jokes. I believe at one time you told me about the differences of perceptions, and tensions between the earlier Polish immigration, mostly working class, and the newer immigrants many of them educated and in a professional class. John Sr's. mother, who was Polish, told me more Polish jokes than I will ever need to remember, and within the experience of that particular family to tell them a Polish joke causes them to feel extra special and love you all the more, at least with the more light hearted of them. So one is actually encouraged to tell Polish jokes. The other day one of them called me on my cell phone and I misread their name and said hello to you... the joke that came from that was on me -- unable to see well enough to read my cell phone. Wishing that it was you calling? Jokes can also be used to tease, and I was brought up to understand that teasing is a form of showing affection (either that or my mother lied to me because she was tired of hearing me crying for all the teasing I could not endure), albet it can get a bit out of hand. I don't want Steve Stolowski to think less of me.
Mississipi joke for Py: "I would you like you to meet my wife and daughter, Daisy."
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