No Laughing Matter: The Viola Joke Cycle as Musicians' Folklore

Abstract

As with any other group, musicians tell stories and jokes to one another based upon their specialized knowledge and experience. In recent years there has been a joke cycle among musicians pertaining to the viola. The viola is a member of the of the string section of an orchestra-a slightly larger and deeper-sounding cousin of the violin which plays the alto or middle-range voice. Being a violist myself, as well as an ethnomusicologist trained in folklore, I paid particular attention to the telling of viola During a three-year period in the early 1990s, I personally collected more than fifty examples. The viola joke cycle offers an opportunity to study the function of telling jokes within a specialized community and also the dynamics of the joke cycle itself. What brings about the birth of a joke cycle? What brings about its demise? How do these jokes function in their specific context? What can be learned by comparing viola jokes with those about other musicians? Viola jokes are typically jokes of disparagement, similar in structure and content to ethnic, political, dumb blonde, `Jewish American Princess or lawyer Indeed many viola jokes are variants of other jokes of disparagement, with the viola as the subject. In order to organize my collection of viola jokes, I arranged them into six different categories, which are not necessarily mutually exclusive: 1. Jokes disparaging the viola itself. 2. Jokes disparaging viola players. 3. Jokes which offer a general disparagement, which can be easily understood outside musical circles. 4. Jokes which may only be understood among musicians. 5. Reverse jokes which get revenge on musicians telling viola Most of the viola jokes in these first five categories are in the form of a riddle, a short question and answer, so I added a sixth category which I call Narrative viola jokes. 1. Jokes disparaging the viola itself: Q. What is the difference between a viola and a trampoline? A. You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline. Q. What is the difference between a viola and a vacuum? A. The vacuum has a better tone. Q. How is a viola different from a lawnmower? A. You can tune a lawnmower. Q. What is another difference between a viola and a lawnmower? A. A lawnmower vibrates. Q. Why isn't a viola like a lawnmower? A. Nobody minds if you borrow their viola. Q. How is a viola different that an onion? A. No one cries when you cut up a viola. Q. If you drop a viola and a bass tuba from the top floor of a building, which one hits the ground first? A. Who cares? Q. What is the difference between a viola and a violin? A. A viola burns longer. (+bassoon/oboe ... variants) Q. Why does a viola burn longer than a cello? A. The viola is always in its case. Q. What is another difference between a viola and a violin? A. A viola holds more beer. Q. How is a viola like a jury trial? [or lawyer's brief] A. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when the case is closed. Collected in Finland: (approximate English translation): Q. What is the difference between a viola and a condom? A. Both are perfectly fine for the purpose for which they were intended, but life would be a whole lot fanner without them. 2. Jokes disparaging violists: Q. You are lost in the forest You come upon a good violist, a bad violist and a nine-foot white rabbit. Of which of the three do you ask directions? A. The bad violist. The other two are figments of your imagination. Q What is the difference between a viola and a coffin? A. The coffin has the dead person on the inside. Q. Why do most people take an instant dislike to violists? A. Saves time. Q. What do violists use for birth control? A. …